SR 49 GV Wildfire Evacuation Route Project
Project Overview
The SR 49 Grass Valley Evacuation Route Project will provide vital improvements to State Route 49 between Wolf Road/Combie Road and Ponderosa Pines Way to aid evacuations of residents in the Grass Valley, Nevada City, Lake Wildwood, and Alta Sierra areas of Western Nevada County and improve overall safety for the traveling public. The project proposes to widen shoulders, construct a continuous two-way left turn lane that could be used to provide up to three lanes of outbound travel on SR 49 and still provide a lane for ingress of emergency responders during a wildfire evacuation scenario.
The project is the outcome of the Ready Nevada County Extreme Climate Event Mobility & Adaptation Plan (2022). The plan was the culmination of a community focused transportation planning effort to identify the climate-related weaknesses of the transportation system in Nevada County and identified actionable adaptation strategies for integration into transportation plans, transportation improvement programs, and alignment with emergency response plans for the region.
Funding Awarded for Improvements on State Route 49
In December of 2023 the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved $35 million in funding for the SR 49 Grass Valley Evacuation Route Project to widen Highway 49 between Ponderosa Pines Way and Wolf Road. The project will construct shoulders and a center two-way left turn lane to allow safer entering and exiting the highway and reduce wildfire evacuation times.
“Those of us living south of Grass Valley assume that during an evacuation once we reach Highway 49, we’ll be safe,” said District 2 Supervisor Ed Scofield, Chair of the Nevada County Transportation Commission. “This project will assure the ability to keep evacuation routes open and could certainly save lives.”
Construction will be paid for through $66.5 million in State Highway Operations and Protection Program funds committed by Caltrans District 3 and $35 million from the CTC's Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program.
Project Schedule
NCTC elected to contract with Caltrans to deliver the project through construction. Caltrans is currently in the Project Approval & Environmental Document (PAED) phase. During this phase, project alternatives are evaluated, public input is gathered, and necessary environmental documentation is finalized in compliance with regulations like the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Following the PAED phase of the project, Caltrans will prepare detailed designs and evaluate right-of-way impacts prior to constructing the project. The proposed schedule is below.
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Project Approval & Environmental Document
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January 2026
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Right of Way
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April 2026
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Ready to List
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May 2027
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Advertise Project
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July 2027
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Begin Construction
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October 2027
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Finish Construction
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December 2030
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Opportunity to Comment on the Draft Environmental Document
NCTC and Caltrans hosted an Open House Workshop on January 7, 2026 at the Nevada County Government Center to share the proposed designs, renderings of the current conditions and proposed improvements at select locations within the project corridor, and provide an opportunity to comment on the Draft Environmental Document.
To view the materials shared at the January 7, 2026 workshop, visit Caltrans’ SR 49 Grass Valley Evacuation Route Project webpage at https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-3/d3-projects/d3-state-route-49-grass-valley-wildfire-evacuation-project. The Draft Environmental Document can be viewed via this link https://ceqanet.lci.ca.gov/2025120522.
NCTC contracted with videographer Jeff Litton to prepare this video highlighting the key concerns and documenting the importance of funding improvements in the Highway 49 corridor, to assist in our efforts to advocate for state and federal funding for the needed safety, evacuation, and operational improvements in the SR 49 corridor. This effort was done in coordination with the County of Nevada and key stakeholders including the Citizens for Highway 49 Safety, Fix49.org, Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities, CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
For more information, contact Mike Woodman, NCTC Executive Director, at mwoodman@nccn.net or (530) 265-3202.