Caltrans offered a new plan to change the three-way intersection near the Plumas County Courthouse in downtown Quincy. The project manager, Azeddine Bahloul, explained the plan at the Plumas County Board of Supervisors meeting on October 6.
The plan would close the left-turn lane from Bucks Lake Road into the intersection with State Route 70 and Court Street. Drivers would only be able to turn right onto Court Street or go straight on highway 70, also known as Main Street.
Bahloul shared this update to inform the supervisors but did not ask for any decisions. The plan is still in the early stages.
Past ideas to improve the intersection faced public opposition. Officials tried to stop left turns from Court Street onto Main Street and straight travel onto highway 70. A public survey from spring 2025 showed many people opposed those changes.
Bahloul’s new idea would redirect traffic turning left from Bucks Lake Road to use Bradley Street and Lawrence Street before continuing west on highway 70.
The plan also includes a new crosswalk on Bucks Lake Road before the intersection and would remove one on highway 70 just west of it.
Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Mimi Hall, welcomed the new crosswalk. She said the lack of a crosswalk forced people to cross unsafely.
Caltrans also proposed safety changes for highway 70 in East Quincy. The plan would reduce the highway from four lanes to two. It would add bike paths and parking spaces.
The proposal includes moving pedestrian crosswalks. A new crosswalk would go at Pioneer Lane. The one at Redberg Avenue would be removed, and the one at Mill Creek Road would shift to the east side of the intersection.
Bahloul said these changes would make the road safer for drivers and pedestrians.
Hall noted the importance of these improvements near a busy charter school. She pointed out how reducing lanes on the highway could protect children during school pick-up and drop-off times.
You can expect more updates as Caltrans continues to develop these safety plans for Quincy’s roads. What changes would matter most to you when driving or walking through these intersections?
