Renewed road construction on the Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park in California will cause some traffic delays this summer and again next summer.

The Generals Highway Construction Project will be completed in two phases over the next two years during the construction seasons. Phase 1 will consist of an approximately 1-mile segment of the highway between Amphitheater Point and Crystal Cave Road. Work on this segment is expected to begin in mid-June. It will involve reconstruction of the road to widen narrow sections, construct new or rehabilitate existing retaining walls, improve drainage, construct new pullouts, among other improvements. This work will take place in elevations ranging from 4,500 to 5,500 feet.

Phase 2 includes repaving Wolverton Road from the intersection with the Generals Highway to the Wolverton trail head parking lot. The work will take place in elevations ranging from 6,900 to 7,300 feet.

The estimated cost to complete the project is between $8 million and $12 million. LB Civil Construction, Inc. bid the project at $10.8 million and was awarded the contract on May 15, 2017.

Construction Delay Schedule

Weekdays from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (until 5 p.m. on Fridays)

Approximately 1-hour delays. Traffic will pass on the hour, uphill traffic first. Downhill traffic will follow after the uphill traffic has successfully cleared the construction zone. Once both lanes of traffic have been cleared, the construction zone will close to all traffic, until the top of the next hour. 8 p.m. will be the last pass through in this time frame.

Weeknights Sunday through Thursday 9 p.m. - 5 a.m.

At 9 p.m. both lanes will be closed with only 1 pass-through at 11:30 p.m., uphill first.

Weekends and Holidays

No delays when both lanes are open. When highway is limited to one lane, expect delays up to 20 minutes. Traffic lights will control traffic.

For the most up-to-date 24-hour road conditions and advisories please call (559) 565-3341 (press 1, 1) or visit the park's website.

History of the Generals Highway Construction Project

The Generals Highway was completed in 1935 and is the primary artery through Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. The Generals Highway is a narrow and winding road that was not designed or constructed for travel by the larger vehicles that are in use today. Since its original construction, the Generals Highway has needed periodic repairs to address structural deficiencies and normal wear that have led to deterioration. However, in 1993 the design and reconstruction of the entire 28-mile Generals Highway began. Reconstruction was needed because the Generals Highway was in poor condition with several failures, had short sight distances, several drainage issues, and did not meet FHWA design standards.

To date, reconstruction of the Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park has been completed between the south Park entrance and Deer Ridge.