Motorists on Highway 41 near Morro Bay can expect delays of 15 to 20 minutes starting today because Caltrans is starting an emergency rockfall protection project.

One lane of Highway 41 will be closed from Cerro Alto Road to Bear Ridge Road Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Caltrans recently announced.

Motorists will encounter one-way reversing traffic control with a pilot car.

Roadwork is expected to be completed by early April, weather permitting.

Work consists of cleaning up of loose rock and constructing an 80-foot-high by 100-foot-long, twisted-wire-mesh rockfall attenuator.

The contractor for this $120,000 emergency project is AIS Construction Co. of Carpinteria.