Well, the first update for the highway pages is getting closer. But first, some headlines. Here are the accumulated headlines about California Highways for May 2018. Many of these will be discussing allocations from the California Transportation Commission that are dependent on SB1, or are talking about SB1. So first, a little political aside:
I have been spending Memorial Day weekend starting on long-awaited updates to the highway pages. In doing so, I’ve seen the long list of projects funded by SB1 (otherwise known as the Gas Tax), and the long list of major projects whose completion depends on SB1. But SB1 is in jeopardy. There are many who do not understand how it works, what it funds, and why it is needed. SPREAD THE WORD. SB1 is badly needed. Vote yes on Prop 69. Vote FOR candidates that support SB1, and AGAINST those that support the repeal. When the November election comes, defeat the repeal. The pennies we pay at the pump go a long way to make our drives more pleasant, and getting us to our destinations faster and safer.
For those who don’t know, here is the process of how I do highway page updates: Phase 1 is headline updates. First, I go through these headline posts and update pages, then I go through material emailed to me. I then skim the AARoads Pacific Southwest Forum for other information I might have missed. Phase 2 is looking at the legislative actions and updating pages based on those. In Phase 3, I go through the minutes of the California Transportation Commission looking for significant changes to highways: reroutings, widenings, relinquishments, EIRs, and such (not ephemeral things like resurfacing or landscaping). This post, which is going up a few days early, will represent the headline stopping point for this update (i.e., headlines after this post will go into the next round).
So here are the headlines for May. As always, for most paywalled pages, you can get around the paywall by trying incognito or private mode in your browser.
- Caltrans: Hwy 1 at Mud Creek expected to reopen in mid-September. Caltrans has announced a new target of mid-September to reopen Highway 1 at Mud Creek. A massive landslide in May 2017 sent more than 6 million cubic yards of rock and dirt onto the highway and into the ocean. It was the biggest slide ever along California’s Big Sur coast. Since then, Highway 1 has been closed between Salmon Creek and Gorda.
- California eyes fall reopening of Highway 1 near Big Sur. California transportation officials are targeting mid-September for reopening a stretch of iconic Highway 1 in the Big Sur region that was blocked almost a year ago by a massive landslide following winter storms. The slide has hindered visitors and hurt businesses on the major tourism route among classic California coastal vistas and landmarks between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
- There’s Still Time to Comment on the Proposed I-605/Katella Interchange Project. More than 50 area residents and community leaders attended a public hearing in Los Alamitos on April 24 regarding the I-605/Katella Avenue Interchange Project. The proposed project would enhance the local interchange by improving freeway access, traffic flow and pedestrian and bike paths.
- New on-ramps, off-ramps to 60 Freeway in City of Industry, Diamond Bar will open on Tuesday. Two of the three legs of the new Lemon Avenue interchange of the 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar will open on Tuesday, May 1 in time for the busy morning commute, according to the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority. At 6 a.m., Caltrans will clear away the orange cones and officially allow vehicles to enter the westbound 60 Freeway from a brand new Lemon Avenue on-ramp. Freeway riders traveling eastbound can take the Lemon Avenue exit via a newly constructed off-ramp.
- Bridging Moody Gulch on Highway 17. Q: While expensive, any thoughts on bridging Moody Gulch on Highway 17? Seems like the elevation on both ends does not make it much of a rise.
