Update: Closure gets longer on Highway 99 exit near Modesto. What else is Caltrans doing?

An emergency closure has been extended by 12 hours on a Highway 99 off-ramp in Ceres.

The southbound exit to Hatch Road was closed Monday, Sept. 23, because of major soil erosion under a bridge. The California Department of Transportation initially said the ramp would reopen at 5 a.m. Sept. 30. An update has moved it to 5 p.m. that day.

The erosion happened near the top of an embankment on the west side of the Hatch bridge. Workers have been backfilling the dirt and building a retaining wall to guard against future damage.

The closest alternatives for Hatch-bound drivers are Crows Landing Road to the north and Whitmore Avenue to the south.

Caltrans on Friday also announced two Highway 99 off-ramp closures for routine maintenance:

Maze Boulevard, Modesto: The off-ramp from northbound 99 to westbound Maze will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, for replacement of pavement markings. This is also Sixth Street. Drivers can exit instead at Tuolumne Boulevard to the south or Kansas Avenue to the north.

Mitchell Road, Ceres: The exit from northbound 99 to Mitchell will be closed for five straight nights for bridge maintenance. The closures will be from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., starting the night of Sept. 29 and ending the morning of Oct. 4. The closest interchanges are at Fourth Street to the north and Keyes Road to the south.