2000s

California received $3.64 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Economic Stimulus Package) for transportation and was the first state to obligate $1.5 billion to projects. These projects include a $1 billion lane widening on Interstate 405, a $13.5 million project to resurface and repair a 50-year-old section of Interstate 80 in the Bay Area and $1 billion to replace sections of Doyle Drive in San Francisco.

Caltrans completed the traffic-interfering work associated with rehabilitating the "boat section," a 3/4-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in Downtown Sacramento. The work was completed in a record 38 working days, rather than the projected two years, with minimal inconvenience to the public.

In October, Caltrans quickly responded to a fiery tunnel crash on Interstate 5 near Santa Clarita that killed three people and involved 31 vehicles. Caltrans cleared the tunnel and reopened the route in a remarkable three days.

The Devil's Slide project began construction on State Route 1 in San Mateo County in September, 2007. Caltrans designed the project to bypass the dangerous and maintenance-intense Devil's Slide that was frequently closed because of storm damage. The project was completed in March, 2013 and consists of two parallel 4,200-foot-long tunnels and two 1,000-foot-long bridges.

Caltrans, working with its partners in the private sector and government, oversaw the reconstruction and re-opening of the Interstate 880 and Interstate 580 approaches to the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in a record 26 days following a devastating accident that compromised the structure.

Caltrans, for the first time in history, oversaw $10 billion of construction on the State highway system.

Caltrans seismically retrofitted 99.5 percent of all state-owned bridges, making them stronger and safer if a major earthquake occurs.

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge self-anchored suspension span contract was awarded in April, which was the largest public infrastructure contract in California's history.

Voters approved Propositions 1A and 1B:

• Proposition 1A permanently protected Proposition 42 transportation funds and required previously diverted funds to be repaid.
• Proposition 1B authorized the sale of $19.9 billion in bonds for a broad range of transportation projects.

Caltrans developed the Goods Movement Action Plan, which offered solutions to improve goods flow, while reducing environmental impacts related to good movements. The Department also distributed $5 million in federal funds as grants to metropolitan planning organizations to produce regional blueprint planning documents designed to improve environmental quality.

Voters approved the Transportation Congestion Improvement Act, also known as Proposition 42, to protect transportation funds. The act limited using transportation funds for non transportation-related needs.

Mark Balsi was clearing scrub brush on a freeway shoulder in January 2001 when he was hit by an impaired driver and lost one of his legs. In 2004, Caltrans innovators deployed a portable work zone barrier system that became known as the “Balsi Beam” in Mark’s honor. Transported on a tractor-trailer, the Balsi Beam has "shields of steel" that provide up to 30 feet of protection between moving vehicles and crews on foot who are working on guardrails, bridge rails, and soundwalls.

The first Amber Alert notification occurred on August 1, when two teenage girls were abducted near Lancaster. Caltrans District 9 equipment operator Milton Walters spotted the abductor's white Bronco, scratched the license number in the dirt and on his lunchbox and contacted the California Highway Patrol.

Tweets by AMBERAlert

Michelle Dupree was the first woman to be hired as a Structural Steel Paint Supervisor at Caltrans in 2001. In her role as a Structural Steel Paint Supervisor, she managed a crew of 11 painters who were responsible for painting, scaffolding and maintaining all necessary equipment for the upkeep of the Bay Area's seven state owned toll bridges.

"No matter how many times you do it, it is always an awesome sight looking at the most beautiful city in the world…It doesn’t get any better than that."

 

She retired from Caltrans in 2014