Granite Construction Co. and MCM Construction Inc. have been awarded a $72 million contract by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to reconstruct and widen the existing State Route 101 in Monterey County.

Granite’s share of the contract is 67 percent, or about $48 million. Granite will book the project into backlog during the first quarter of 2011.

Scope of the project includes rehabilitating and elevating a portion of State Route 101 from Espinosa Road to Echo Valley Road just north of Salinas. The joint venture team will be responsible for excavation of the existing road, repaving with asphalt concrete, and installation of storm drains. The contract also calls for the establishment of retaining walls and fabrication of seven bridges.

Construction is estimated to begin in the spring of 2011 and be completed by the fall of 2013.