In a move towards establishing a long-term solution at Last Chance Grade, Caltrans has selected a preferred alternative that could see the construction of a tunnel along U.S. 101 in Del Norte County. 

After a consultancy period Caltrans has elected for Alternative F, a 6,000-foot tunnel that bypasses area landslides and realigns the highway, in a move that is essential to advancing the Last Chance Grade Project efficiently.

The proposed tunnel would be the longest constructed in Caltrans history.

After lengthy discussion with tribes, environmental groups, lawmakers, and other stakeholders, the resulting decision should maximize long-term reliability.

With construction estimated to cost around $2.1B in 2031 dollars, the tunnel avoids chronic landslides, coastal erosion, and the impacts of climate change while ensuring safety during seismic events.

The option still potentially presents challenges, due to the sensitive environment and potential impacts on large-diameter, old-growth redwood trees, Caltrans is committed to delivering a successful project through partnership, community support, and collaborative mitigation efforts, exploring all avenues to stay on schedule while prioritizing quality, efficiency, and preservation. 

Alternative X, which wasn’t selected, involved re-engineering the existing route in the hopes it would be resilient among the area’s mapped landslides. 

Caltrans continues to seek all possible funding opportunities to realize this project.

The project has remained on schedule and on budget and the project team is on track to finalize its environmental document by late 2025.

Further design refinements would occur in the coming years. To keep on track, the project would need to fund design, support, right-of-way acquisition, and other costs by December 2025, and it would need to fund construction costs by 2029. If all goes according to plan, construction could begin as early as 2030.

If that happens, the tunnel could be open as early as 2038, however, Caltrans is looking for any and all opportunities to accelerate this timeline.