If you've driven State Route 36 between Chester and Westwood, you know the stretch. The road runs along the north end of Lake Almanor, with water on one side and pine forest on the other, and for a lot of people up here it isn't optional. It's how you get to work, how the ambulance gets to you, how freight reaches Lassen and Plumas counties, and how summer visitors find their way to the lake.
That road needed more than a patch. Caltrans District 2 set out to rehabilitate it, and Hat Creek Construction & Materials built it.
This fall, the American Society of Civil Engineers Sacramento Section named the Chester Causeway Rehabilitation its 2025 Outstanding Transportation Project, recognizing Caltrans as owner and Hat Creek Construction & Materials as engineer. ASCE gives the award to projects that show real engineering achievement, innovation, and lasting value to the communities they serve. As a Section winner, the project now advances as an official nominee for an ASCE Region 9 award.
What the job took
The Chester Causeway Rehabilitation was a $51.9 million project covering multiple locations from Melissa Avenue in Chester to just east of the Red River Canal in Westwood. It wasn't one kind of work repeated down the highway. It was several.
In some sections, crews tore the roadway out and rebuilt it to full depth, widening the shoulders to eight feet. In others, they milled the surface, laid a new overlay, and widened shoulders to four feet. Along the way they replaced guardrail, rebuilt culverts, added rumble strips and new signage, and installed conduit so broadband can reach this part of the region in the future.
The work spanned two construction seasons. Tree clearing began in January 2025, paving started that May, and crews returned in the spring of 2026 to finish the remaining work east of the State Route 147 intersection. Through all of it, the road stayed open, with daily traffic control and nighttime control on much of the job.
Every part of the company on one job
Chester Causeway pulled in all four of Hat Creek's divisions. Construction planned, managed, and built it. Materials produced and delivered what went into the road. Equipment & Trucking kept material moving and machines running. Business Operations, from finance and payroll to HR and IT, kept everything behind the scenes working. It's the kind of job that shows what this company can do when every piece pulls together.
Working in a place worth protecting
Lake Almanor is part of why people live here, and it's part of what made this job hard. Building next to the water, through forest, with resource agencies watching closely, leaves very little room for mistakes. Caltrans pointed to exactly that in announcing the award: the project required careful engineering and close coordination to protect both drivers and the surrounding natural resources.
The finished road is built to need minimal maintenance, ride smoother, and last for decades. For the communities that depend on it, that means fewer closures, a safer drive, and room on the shoulder when you need it.
A shared win
Caltrans credited the award to everyone who touched the project: Caltrans District 2, engineering consultants, contractors, resource agencies, and local partners. We'd add our subcontractors and suppliers to that list. A job like this only comes together when every team on it holds up its end.
"Chester Causeway was a big undertaking for us, and it took all four of our divisions working as one company to deliver it. Rebuilding a highway while people still depend on it every day is hard work, and doing it next to Lake Almanor raised the bar even higher. We're proud of this team, grateful to Caltrans District 2 and every partner on the project, and honored that ASCE recognized what we built together."
Perry Thompson, President & CEO, Hat Creek Construction & Materials
Congratulations to Caltrans District 2 and everyone who had a hand in it.
See the ASCE Sacramento Section's 2025 project award recipients at sac.r9-asce.org/awards
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