Work begins on long-awaited Cholame ‘Y’ interchange, the spot of James Dean’s deadly crash
Caltrans broke ground Tuesday on a $148 million project that will bring a flyover interchange to the infamous Cholame “Y” crossing, 68 years after actor James Dean died in a crash at the intersection.
The interchange is one of two major upgrades to the area that will be completed in about three yeas.
The long-awaited project will also further widen Highway 46 on the way to Kern County, the agency announced in a news release.
“Safety is the top priority of Caltrans, and these improvements will lead to safer, more secure experience for all travelers,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said in the news release.
The area is best known as the site where Dean died in a head-on crash on Sept. 30, 1955, when his Porsche Spyder collided with a two-door Ford being driven by Donald Turnupseed, a Cal Poly student who was turning from Highway 46 onto Highway 41.
A California Highway Patrol collision diagram identifies the Ford make as a Tudor, but noted James Dean researcher Lee Raskin identifies it as a Ford Custom 2-door coupe.
The crown jewel of the project is the elevated interchange at the so-called Cholame “Y” where Highways 41 and 46 meet in northern San Luis Obispo County. It will carry drivers over Highway 46 and merge them onto Highway 41, headed toward Fresno.
“The project is designed to improve safety by increasing areas for passing, better accommodating existing truck traffic, minimizing crashes, expanding passing areas, and reducing existing and future peak-hour congestion,” Caltrans said in the news release.
In addition, the project also will widen about 3.5 miles of Highway 46 East up the Antelope Grade from two lanes to four lanes — stretching from west of Davis Road to west of Antelope Road, the agency said.
This follows a previous project that widened 5 miles of the highway from the Shandon Rest Area to east of the Jack Ranch Cafe, the news release said.
“Upon completion, Highway 46 East will be a 4-lane divided expressway from U.S. 101 in Paso Robles to Highway 5 near Lost Hills, Kern County,” Caltrans said in the news release.
Irvine-based company Atkinson Construction will complete construction in about three years, according to Caltrans.
Of the project’s funding, $97 million came from the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Work begins on long-awaited Cholame ‘Y’ interchange, the spot of James Dean’s deadly crash."
CORRECTION: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated what car Donald Turnupseed was driving when he crashed into James Dean’s car. The story has been updated to reflect that CHP recorded that Turnupseed drove a Ford Tudor, while James Dean researcher Lee Raskin identifies it as a Ford Custom 2-door coupe.
