Wouldn't it be great if roadwork could be done during the off-season months, say November through April? Sadly, the weather makes that difficult and so you'll have to tolerate traffic at a snail's pace at times if you head to Sequoia National Park this summer.

Work on a 9-mile stretch of Generals Highway between Wolverton Road and Little Baldy summit, including Wuksachi Road, got under way this week, and the project is expected to run into September.

Plans call for the surface of the highway to be pulverized and graded and new asphalt to be laid over the next five months. Additional work to repair and install culverts and to remove and replace curbs will be performed in conjunction with the road improvement.

The project will be divided into three segments; work on the first segment has already begun. This stretch of road extends from the Wolverton Road intersection to the Wuksachi Road intersection. Initial work on this segment of the project will affect the highway between Lodgepole Road and Wolverton Road.

The contractor’s intent is to keep one lane of traffic moving continuously. However, motorists are advised to expect slight delays on approximately a mile-long stretch of the highway construction zone. Current plans call for continuous traffic flow throughout the project area outside the segments under construction and for flagging to facilitate surveying requirements for the project.

The next segment of the project will take in the highway from the Halstead picnic area turnout to about 1,000 feet north of Little Baldy summit. The tentative start for this segment will be in early July.

The third and last part of the project includes the stretch of highway approximately 1,000 feet south of the Wuksachi Road intersection to the Halstead picnic area turnout. Work on this segment is expected to begin in early September.