Fix 50 Construction Zone Accident Injures 3 Workers

April 24 UPDATE: 

CalTrans says despite an accident at the "Fix 50" construction site in Sacramento yesterday, work is on schedule.

Three construction workers are recovering this morning after a worker accidentally swung a two-by-four into the left lane of eastbound highway 50---and a big rig hit the lumber. The wood hit two construction workers.

One worker suffered a concussion, another was hospitalized, and a third was treated and released.

Dennis Keaton is with CalTrans. He says the project includes fixing the cracked deck of the elevated section of highway 50 known as the W-X freeway......as well as expanding the shoulder on each side of the road.

"That's why they've had to do a lot of the jackhammering noise, work and the scraping and the heavy machinery work," he says. "You've got a lot of these alternating commercial trucks traveling in and out of the work zone, hauling away the old rebar, hauling away the old concrete."

Keaton says today there will be a large crane on site to lift rebar from parking lots to the bridge. He says crews may begin pouring new concrete as early as Monday.

Keaton also says yesterday's commute was significantly less congested than during the first day of construction on Tuesday.

Work on the "Fix 50" project is expected to continue through the end of June.

UPDATE: The California Highway Patrol says three construction workers were injured late Wednesday morning. 

CHP says a construction worker was turning with a 20-foot-long piece of 2"x4" lumber. When he turned, part of the board protruded into the left lane of eastbound U.S. 50.  A semi-truck hit the board and the board flew into two other workers.

The CHP says the accident happened on Highway 50 at 20th street.

"One of them has head trauma," says Martin Oliveras with CHP. "He was airlifted to U.C. Davis."

Another worker was taken to the hospital. The third employee was treated at the scene and released. 

The incident was reported at 10:59 a.m., according to Caltrans.

Three lanes of eastbound 50 are open during the Fix 50 project, except at 15th street where only two lanes are open.