Protesters arrested for shutting down work on Willits bypass

WILLITS, Calif. (KGO) -- Five people were arrested Wednesday as protesters forced Caltrans to stop work on a controversial highway project.

Caltrans is spending more than $200 million to build a freeway bypass around the town of Willits on Highway 101, even though traffic in the area is actually going down.

Critics say the money should go to more congested roads in other parts of the state.

Protesters took cell phone video as they blocked work intended to speed the drying of wetlands.

On Friday, a federal judge in San Francisco will hear arguments in a lawsuit that claims Caltrans misled the public about the need for a four lane bypass in this rural area.

(Copyright ©2013 KGO-TV/DT.

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Protesters shut down work on Willits bypass

WILLITS, Calif. (KGO) -- Protesters shut down work on a controversial Caltrans project Wednesday.

Caltrans wants to build a $210 million bypass around the town of Willits on Highway 101. But traffic in the area is actually going down and critics say the money should go to more congested roads in other parts of the state.

The new freeway will cross wetlands and require extensive landfill.

Wednesday, environmental activists lay down at the construction site to stop the installation of 55,000 drains that speed the drying of the wetlands.

Highway patrol officers were called in and the protesters left peacefully.

(Copyright ©2013 KGO-TV/DT.

View the original article here