Caltrans has begun improving a stretch of Highway 53 in Lake County that has been the scene of many accidents over the years.

The project, which had been delayed a few months by last year’s budget paralysis, will run from just south of 40th Avenue in Clearlake to Highway 20. Shoulders will be widened, turn lanes added at some intersections, a stoplight will be installed at Olympic Drive – an intersection that has been the source of many of the accidents – and about four miles of the highway will be repaved.

This year, construction crews will focus on improving the intersection at Olympic Drive, including the stoplight, and finish off the rest of the work next year, Caltrans said.

Work hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays with one-way traffic control. Caltrans expects up to 10-minute delays.