Highway 41 between Lemoore and Stratford undergoing major paving operation

KINGS COUNTY (KFSN) -- Heavy machinery and trucks were brought in Thursday to repave and smooth out a section of Highway 41 between Lemoore and Stratford that's been riddled with potholes.

"The repairs are over a six mile stretch and its multiple sections on both areas south bound and north bound 41," said Tami Cox, Caltrans.

The section of highway can get busy; it is commonly used by travelers heading to the central coast.

The road work caused delays for drivers Thursday as traffic was reduced to just one-lane. A Caltrans pilot vehicle was used to escort cars through the work zone.

"Today they have been experiencing up to 15 to 20 minute delays, just depending on the amount of traffic that's going through the project area," said Cox.

Because the stretch of highway is a main thoroughfare to the central coast Caltrans wants to get this project done by Friday afternoon-- if not they could extend it into next week.

"Tomorrow we will be working again from 3:00 a.m. to noon, so we're going to try to get out of there before it impacts weekend travelers," said Cox.

The best advice is to plan accordingly, because you can expect to be sitting in traffic for a several minutes if you arrive at the wrong time.