Highway 299 Left-Turn Lane at Burnt Ranch Advances in California’s 2026 Transportation Funding Plan

TRINITY VILLAGE, Calif. — A longstanding safety project to create a left-turn lane on State Route 299 near Burnt Ranch appears in California’s 2026 transportation investment program, an important development for motorists who regularly turn off the highway toward local homes and schools.

The September 2, 2026 Caltrans investment announcement identifies the Burnt Ranch Left Turn Lane Project in Trinity County. The purpose is to add a turning area so motorists do not have to slow or stop in a through lane while waiting for a safe gap.

Where is the proposed lane?

Trinity County’s 2026 Regional Transportation Improvement Program describes the project at Burnt Ranch School Road near Highway 299 milepost 11.53. Earlier program documents identified the improvement as project PPNO 3770, developed with Caltrans as a transportation partnership.

The county’s adopted 2026 planning materials discuss carrying out the turn-lane work in coordination with a larger Caltrans pavement rehabilitation project, rather than treating it as a standalone road construction job.

How the money is described

The California Transportation Commission’s 2026 State Transportation Improvement Program hearing materials identify a $1 million funding component associated with the Burnt Ranch left-turn-lane partnership, including amounts for right-of-way and construction. The larger Highway 299 pavement rehabilitation project has a separate budget and covers different work.

Funding and programming are not the same as a construction-completion notice. The official sources reviewed do not establish that the turn lane is open to drivers as of October 31, 2026, or give a confirmed completion date.

Why this matters on a rural highway

Route 299 carries regional traffic through an area where turning movements and sight distances can be challenging. An additional left-turn lane can reduce conflicts between slowing vehicles and through traffic, but any benefit depends on the actual design and operation once construction is complete.

Travelers can use Caltrans QuickMap to check current restrictions. A project appearing in a funding list should never be mistaken for an active road closure.

Illustrative photo: Loov 12 / Unsplash. This is not the proposed left-turn-lane project on State Route 299.

Sources: Caltrans, September 2, 2026 statewide transportation allocations; Trinity County adopted 2026 RTIP; California Transportation Commission, 2026 STIP project tables.

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