Updated 7 p.m. March 24: The new cycle track will not open, as previously announced, when construction switches from the north to the south side of the Hutchison Drive overpass. Instead, bike lanes going each direction will be provided for continued bicycle travel across the overpass. In addition, the switch to the south side is now scheduled for the week of March 28. The story below has been revised to reflect these changes.

The time has arrived for the longest detour around the ramp construction project at Highway 113 and Hutchison Drive.

In Phase 3, now scheduled to begin the week of March 28 and continue into May, the contractor will cut off access to northbound 113 from Hutchison, for drivers coming either direction — from the central campus and from UC Davis West Village. The time frame includes Picnic Day (April 23) but not commencement and move-out in June.

The campus advises this detour: Take La Rue Road to Old Davis Road, where just before Interstate 80, there’s a ramp to northbound 113.

New intersections

As originally built, the junction comprised two on-ramps to northbound 113, one long and curved for traffic turning off westbound Hutchison, the other a tight circle for traffic turning off eastbound Hutchison; and two on-ramps to southbound 113, one long and curved, one a tight circle. The longer ramps are being removed in favor of single ramps, each of them lining up at a right angle to create a "squared" intersection on Hutchison.

The contractor tackled the remaining southbound ramp in Phase 2, with a shorter detour, and is now starting on the remaining northbound ramp. Four-way stops are in place at both intersections, pending the installation of traffic signals near the end of the project.

Sidewalks and cycle track

Other parts of the project will open in phases:

• New sidewalk on the north side of the overpass will open when construction switches to the south side.
• New cycle track, or protected bike lane, along the westbound lanes of the overpass will open a few weeks after the switch.
• Renewed sidewalk and updated bike lane along the eastbound lanes will open at the end of Phase 3. 

All of these improvements will provide a more convenient and sustainable commute between the central campus and UC Davis West Village, home to thousands of students.

The cycle track, the campus’s first, will be for bicyclists going either direction. The protection comes in the form of a concrete barrier separating the track from automobile traffic — which should make the track attractive to a wide range of bicyclists at all levels and ages, said Matt Dulcich, director of environmental planning for UC Davis.

“For users with more advanced skills, they can ride in the street on the bike lane,” Dulcich said. “For other users, the off-street bike path/cycle track may be more appealing.”