Valley Springs traffic signal remains unfinished as emergency-preemption equipment is added

The new traffic signal at the Valley Oaks shopping-center intersection in downtown Valley Springs remains incomplete even though its red lights were operating by July 24, 2026.

Emergency-vehicle detection, also referred to as emergency-vehicle preemption equipment, still must be installed before the signal can be fully activated. The system is intended to help fire apparatus receive priority as they leave the station during an emergency.

The update matters for people traveling through the central Valley Springs intersection, as well as for emergency responders who use the area. Until the project is complete, drivers and nearby businesses may continue to encounter changing or incomplete signal operations.

Fire district raised safety concerns

The Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District opposed activating the signal without the emergency-response system in place. The district’s concern was the safe movement of fire equipment during an emergency, particularly as apparatus leave the station.

A July 10 local report estimated that installing the Emergency Vehicle Detection System, or EVP, could take about three additional months. The July 24 update confirmed that the red lights were on but did not establish that the signal had reached full operational status.

The public records cited for the project do not identify an installation date for the emergency-preemption equipment, a final activation date or whether the system has passed testing. The next practical milestone is installation and verification of that equipment before full activation.

Project covers routes, ramps and pedestrian access

Caltrans describes the work as construction of an intersection signal and curb ramps in and near Valley Springs. Its project limits extend from 0.1 mile east of Chestnut Street to 0.1 mile west of Lime Creek Road along State Route 12.

The work is associated with the State Route 12 and State Route 26 intersection area and includes related pedestrian improvements. Calaveras County’s fiscal-year 2026 capital-improvement program lists the SR 12/SR 26 intersection traffic signal among Valley Springs projects. The same county packet also lists the 12/26 Bypass – Valley Springs and related circulation projects.

A Caltrans payment record lists a payment of $201,542 on April 7, 2026. That entry documents a project payment; it does not establish the final construction cost.

For now, the signal project remains an ongoing update rather than a completed improvement. Drivers should expect the intersection’s operations to remain subject to change while the emergency-response equipment is installed and the system is brought through its final steps.