Hwy. 101 Traffic Safety

US Hwy. 101 Traffic Safety Improvements

View a presentation on Caltrans projects for Hwy. 101 South of Salinas here.

Over the past three years, representatives of Caltrans District 5 and the Transporation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) have shared project videos, maps and other information to be used in formulating the major highway improvement project for the area south of Salinas (to the Chualar Main Street interchange).

Caltrans has collected and shared collision data, including accidents with injuries and fatalities for this stretch of US 101 between Hartnell Road and Esperanza Road, that grossly exceeds statewide averages, showing the safety hazards posed by the crossroad intersections, as well as excessive speeding.

In 2018, CHP issued nearly 1,700 tickets for speeding on US 101 between Spence Road and Gonzales. Speeding is the leading cause of accidents along this corridor, followed by unsafe turns, unsafe lane changes, DUI (alcohol and drugs), failure to yield right-of-way, and other types of infractions.

Caltrans has a dedicated webpage to the Hwy. 101 South of Salinas Highway Safety Project which encompasses the highway running from the Main Street Overcrossing in Chualar to the Airport Boulevard Overcrossing in Salinas.

Due to continuing safety concerns and accident fatalities, Caltrans has determined that all at-grade crossings in this corridor will need to be closed (left-hand turns into side streets, either south or northbound). This closure is expected to start construction in Summer 2026.

TAMC also has a dedicated webpage for the Highway 101 South of Salinas Highway Safety Project; this website provides information about the process for developing concept alternatives for the project.

An interactive project map is available to review the proposed investment scenarios expected to address safety issues along US 101 South of Salinas. It also provides an oportunity for public input that may include comments and concerns for the concepts being proposed.

The US 101 South of Salinas Safety Improvement Project is a Measure X funded project. A related effort is the Calrans’ U.S. 101 Business Plan that will provide the data, strategy, and community support needed to match corridor priorities with potential funding mechanisms for implementing improvements in the U.S. 101 corridor. Caltrans U.S. 101 Business Plan.

In late February 2025, Caltrans presented project concepts to the TAMC Board that included reconstruction of the interchanges at Abbott Street and Chualar. There are no other interchanges planned for this project; a near-term Caltrans project improved the accelartion and decelaration lanes at one of the road crossings to impove some access and safety concerns has been completed. Full project construciton is a long-term project, most likely with a start date of 2031 or later.

For more information, please contact the S.O.S. US 101 Traffic Safety Alliance at sos101trafficsafetyalliance@gmail.com or on their Facebook page “South of Salinas Hwy 101 Traffic Safety Alliance”