Eureka Begins Buhne Street Paving Between Fairfield and G Street Feb. 2

The City of Eureka began road paving and rehabilitation work on Buhne Street between Fairfield Street and G Street, with intersection work expected between Fairfield and Dean Streets. Work was scheduled to start Monday, Feb. 2, and to occur Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., weather permitting, bringing controlled traffic, detours and short delays for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

City of Eureka communications state plainly, “The City of Eureka will be performing Road Construction work at the above locations in Eureka beginning Monday, February 2nd, 2026.” The release also warned that “Intersection will have closures between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, WEATHER PERMITTING. Noticing will follow describing the location and extent of future work.” Officials added that “There will be controlled traffic and detours at these locations, and motorists should expect short delays,” and asked for local cooperation: “The patience and cooperation of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in the vicinity of the work zone is greatly appreciated.”

The Buhne segment is listed in the city’s broader pavement program. An environmental filing for the “2025 Pavement Rehabilitation Project” (SCH Number 2025090793, posted 9/17/2025) classifies the work as a Class 1 categorical exemption under CEQA, noting that “The project involves pavement repair and maintenance within the existing roadway prism with no expansion of the roadway’s existing capacity.” The Notice of Exemption outlines specific improvements that may occur at locations within the program, including replacing striping, adding truncated domes along main pedestrian paths, and raising valves, manholes, and survey monuments to grade where grinding, paving, or overlaying occurs. The filing states that the project is intended to “repair the quality of damaged roadways and enable ADA accessible pedestrian pathways to [...]”

City procurement documents and council agenda language provide program-level budget and contractor context. A city agenda item for Pavement Rehabilitation 2024 (Bid No. 2024-17) recommends awarding work to Mercer Fraser Company, and instructs the council to “Declare Mercer Fraser Company the low bidder for the Pavement Rehabilitation 2024 Project; and 2. Award Bid No. 2024-17 to Mercer Fraser Company for the amount of $2,258,258; and 3. Approve $2,500,000 for pavement rehabilitation items, which includes a contingency of approximately 9.6%.” Those figures reflect the city’s budget planning for a multi-location pavement program rather than a single-block tab.

Work on Buhne has appeared in previous schedules for different segments. Earlier notices listed work on Buhne from Harrison Street to P Street, “starting August 9 and will go through August 13,” with different daytime hours, underscoring that pavement work on Buhne may proceed in phases along separate blocks.

For residents and regular Buhne users, the short-term effect will be daytime detours and intermittent lane closures; access to homes and businesses may shift as crews raise utility covers, repave failed asphalt, install thermoplastic markings and truncated domes, and replace curb ramps where needed. The city’s message framed the disruption in public-safety terms: “The City of Eureka realizes that this disruption is an inconvenience, but maintaining the City’s streets and sidewalks is vital to the health and safety of our residents.”

Expect additional notices from the City of Eureka describing exact closures and phase maps as work progresses. Motorists and bicyclists should plan extra time for trips through Old Town and adjacent blocks, and pedestrians should follow posted detours and the directions of traffic control personnel while crews are onsite.