when will highway 50 reopen

February 21, 2026

Highway 50, particularly in the Sacramento area, is currently facing ongoing nighttime lane closures due to the Fix50 project's HOV lane construction and pavement rehabilitation, but no full highway closure is active as of February 18, 2026.

Latest Closures

Caltrans schedules frequent overnight work (typically 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.) on US 50 from the I-5 interchange to Watt Avenue. Recent examples from early February include:

Eastbound lanes #3/#4 and specific on-ramps (e.g., 65th Street, Howe Avenue) closed Monday, February 2.

Westbound lanes #2/#3/#4 from 26th Street to 39th Street, plus ramps like Stockton Boulevard, through February 6.

No extended 56-hour closures were listed as of February 2, and real-time checks via Caltrans QuickMap are essential since conditions shift with construction progress.

Project Timeline

The multimillion-dollar Fix50 project aims to complete major work by summer 2026, focusing on 14 lane miles of HOV lanes and rehab. A planned 27-hour Midtown closure was postponed in January due to cold weather, with final striping and minor tasks (landscaping, drainage) now targeting ramps rather than full lanes.

Aspect| Details| Expected End
---|---|---
Main Construction| HOV lanes, pavement from I-5 to Watt Ave.| Summer 2026 3
Recent Disruptions| Nightly lane reductions, no full shutdowns| Ongoing, check QuickMap 1
Past Delays| Concrete issues pushed timeline 2+ years| Resolved, on track now 3

Reopening Outlook

Highway 50 remains open for general travel , with full reopening of all lanes post-project anticipated by mid-2026—though weather or surprises could adjust this. Drivers should plan alternates like Business 80 during peaks; no specific "reopen date" exists since it's phased, not fully closed. For live updates, use quickmap.dot.ca.gov or the app, as forums buzz with commuter frustration over these predictable snarls.

"Crews need to remove surface for striping once weather improves—then minimal disruptions." – Caltrans spokesperson, Jan 2026

Bottom TL;DR : No imminent full reopening needed—Highway 50 is operational amid construction; expect completion summer 2026. Monitor QuickMap daily.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.