Exclusive: Highway 50 records reveal new details in years-long delay of Sacramento roadwork

The Abridged version:

• Public records acquired by Abridged by PBS KVIE show at least eight instances where unapproved concrete was laid during Highway 50 construction and later discovered to have issues, in some cases causing costly and time-intensive repairs.
• Caltrans acknowledged for the first time that “concrete placement and substandard lab test results” fueled delays on the project that has gone two years and more than $100 million over initial estimates.
• In three cases where unapproved concrete was used, quality inspectors — who oversee compliance on construction sites — were not available to inspect the concrete as construction was underway.

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An unapproved mix of concrete was poured in at least eight different sections of Highway 50 in Sacramento during the behemoth construction project that has run two years past its deadline and exceeded its initial budget by more than $100 million, public records obtained by Abridged by PBS KVIE show.

Last year, Abridged reported that rejected concrete fueled the delays on Caltrans’ Highway 50 project. Crews had to demolish and reconstruct a section of highway in East Sacramento after it was discovered that the recently poured concrete failed the state transportation authority’s strength standards. 

The latest findings by Abridged reveal the extent of unapproved concrete mixes used on the highway were much broader. And, for the first time, Caltrans is publicly acknowledging that issues with concrete were behind the delays in the half-billion-dollar project. 

Caltrans spokesman John O’Connell said in a statement that the agency “recognizes the complex nature of this project” and that it maintains “strict standards for asphalt and concrete materials and holds contractors accountable for meeting those standards.”

“However, issues with concrete placement and substandard lab test results have caused delays in completing the project,” he said.

In some instances, routine concrete testing discovered that an “unapproved” mix of concrete was laid down, but further testing showed it was strong enough to keep in place. In other cases, concrete had to be removed and replaced, costing millions of dollars and taking months to address. Records show Caltrans repaired or replaced all concrete that failed its strength and durability standards.

Abridged requested records under the California Public Records Act in early January. After more than six months of delays, Caltrans released the records with 246 pages of documents. 

The records also revealed that in three cases where unapproved concrete was used, quality inspectors — who oversee compliance on construction sites — were not available to inspect the concrete as construction was underway.

A Caltrans spokesperson said construction on Highway 50 is now expected to be complete by the end of October. 

Pouring ‘unapproved’ concrete

The first visible work on the “Fix50” project began in March 2021. By that October, project managers began noting instances where unapproved materials were used in construction and later found to have strength issues.

Crews were performing work on the sound wall along the highway between Stockton Boulevard and 65th Street. When samples of the new concrete were sent to a lab to ensure durability, they fell short of Caltrans’ strength target.

It was later discovered that some of the concrete components were “out of contract compliance,” according to a nonconformance report from October 2021. Quality inspectors never discovered a root cause of the issue, but wrote in public records that it was due to “possible poor quality of concrete materials or testing procedures.”

Public records note at least eight similar instances where nonconformance reports were filed, noting “unapproved” concrete mixes and construction issues were later discovered.

A year later, crews were working on a segment of Highway 50 near Howe Avenue. On the night of Oct. 6, 2022, project engineers signed off on the use of a concrete mix, the status of which had changed two days before.

“All parties involved allowed mix to be placed that was not an approved mix design,” project engineers wrote.

In a report on how to prevent a recurrence, a Caltrans engineer wrote, “Delivered mix that is found to not be approved will be sent away.”

In both instances, Caltrans eventually designated the construction work to be “use-as-is.” Laboratory results eventually found the work to be in compliance with Caltrans standards, records show.

Incidents foreshadowed major concrete mistake

The incidents with unapproved concrete preceded a larger incident with unapproved concrete that occurred between April and August 2023.

An Abridged investigation previously found that newly placed concrete at the Elmhurst Bridge, near the Highway 99 interchange, had to be removed and replaced. As crews discovered issues with the bridge’s strength and durability, the total project timeline increased by six months.

Concrete used on the Elmhurst Bridge had an unapproved supplemental material in it, according to Caltrans records. The newly available records note that a certificate of compliance for the concrete “was delivered with the last truck.”

In a letter to Caltrans, lead contractor Flatiron wrote that the “concrete did not reach the advertised compressive strength” as the mix contained natural pozzolan instead of fly ash. Both are used as supplementary materials in concrete; pozzolan comes from regional mineral deposits whereas fly ash is a coal byproduct.

A lawsuit seeking $20 million in project costs filed by Flatiron against subcontractor Elite Ready Mix is still pending in Sacramento County Superior Court.

Where are the inspectors?

Public records show at least three instances where there was difficulty locating a quality inspector on site, and nonconformance reports were later issued around the roadwork.

In a report filed in June 2023, engineers cited that issues occurred after concrete was laid without a Caltrans representative signing off on the work. A subcontractor had requested that an inspector be present for the work on the night of June 27, 2023, but the inspector was not there.

“Inspection team failed to show at requested time and concrete was already on site,” cites a report on the root cause of the issue.

Vacancies for quality inspectors in Caltrans District 3 peaked during the years that Fix50 was undergoing its most substantial construction work along the corridor. Those engineers are tasked with inspecting concrete materials and ensuring that construction projects comply with Caltrans standards.

Inspector vacancies peaked at an annual average of 17.4% vacant positions in 2022. In January 2022, the district’s inspector workforce hit an all-time high vacancy rate of 25%.

Caltrans District 3 spans all of the Greater Sacramento region, including 11 counties. The district had a total payroll of 46 inspectors when Fix50 began in March 2021. That number has steadily grown. As of July, the district had a payroll of 75 inspectors with just three vacant positions.

The apparent end in sight

Though the bulk of roadwork and most disruptive construction on Highway 50 was completed by the end of last December, local drivers continue to see the tail end of work underway on the highway cutting through the heart of Sacramento.

Up until recently, Caltrans had been targeting the end of summer for a completion date. That date changed after Caltrans discovered that the surface of the highway was not meeting quality specifications, spokesperson Steve Nelson said. 

“They’re doing profile grinding in some spots,” Nelson said. “If it doesn’t meet our specifications for the payment, we can send a contractor back out to grind it out so it’s a little smoother.”

The contractor is expected to finish all “substantial” work by Oct. 31, and the last day of work under the contract is Nov. 17, Nelson said. 

Representatives from Caltrans did not respond to requests for comment on the instances of unapproved concrete and the inspector vacancies.