Headlines about California Highways - May 2018

[cahwyguy]

Here's the introduction as I wrote it on FB:

Before I can start processing the headlines for May, I need to post them. Yes, I'm working on the highway pages, but don't expect the updates to post until sometime in June. There's loads still to do: finish headlines, scan AAroads, go through the legislature, go through the CTC minutes (and that will likely involve going through the 400... page SHOPP and the SB1 projects)... and that's on top of the Hollywood Fringe Festival (and posting about the shows I go to). But while we're at it: Reading this will show you how important it is to oppose the repeal of SB1 (the gas tax) and to oppose candidates that oppose SB1 (the gas tax) and to vote yes on Prop 69. These funds will improve highways and transportation throughout the state, starting now.

In the post, I also talk about my process of updating highways, and in addition to the headline links, at the bottom, you'll find a link to the 400+ page State Highway Operations and Protection Plan (SHOPP), which is the proposal for all the highway work, as well as a link to the Rebuilding CA site, where you can see all the allocated SB1 projects.

Here's the link to the headline post:

https://cahighways.org/wordpress/?p=14281

Ready, set, discuss.

[sparker]

I'm a little skeptical about the 12/113 roundabout; that intersection is on a segment of CA 12 featuring an outsized number of large trucks heading from I-5 to the North Bay area, in addition to being on a stretch that's characterized by an up-and-down hill alignment with relatively poor lines of sight -- the intersection itself is on one of those grades.  Unless a partial realignment of CA 12 is included in the project, this concept may be one that Caltrans need to rethink. 

4/680:  Way long overdue; been a bottleneck for about 40 years.  Glad to see 101 upgrades on the way, particularly the 101/237 mess (present situation is essentially the grafting of freeway alignments onto facilities designed for surface streets) and improvements to the 25/101 interchange south of Gilroy.  Too bad there's nothing more on a CA 152 bypass of the present 2-lane section from Gilroy to Casa de Fruta.  Again, long overdue.  Only mentioned because it is likely that such a bypass may utilize the northernmost segment of CA 25 southeast of its US 101 terminus. 

Seems like for once a lot's being done -- if the state's voters don't rescind the gas tax hike.  Hate to see projects started then ending up half-done (or eventually half-assed) because of short-sightedness.     

[Max Rockatansky]

Once Caltrans gets a firm date on the reopening of Mud Creek I'm planning on making a trip out there the day that 1 is fully reopened between Cambria and Carmel.  The last time I was out that way I took the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road over the Santa Lucia Range to get to US 101/CA 198.  Hard to believe that 1 has been out of commission for this long.

Suffice to say I've been a little out of the loop this past month being out of state as much as I have been.  I'm honestly surprise the closures on CA 49 near Coulterville didn't get much press.  Apparently 49 between Bear Valley and Coulterville is now slated to reopen at the end of August. 

[cahwyguy]

Max: I tend not to put headlines on storm closures in the headlines list, because they tend not to be long-term enough to impact my pages, given the frequency of updates. Big ones, such as Route 192 or Big Sur, yes.

Sparker: If you look at the bottom of the linked post, there is the link to the draft SHOPP document (about 450 pages) and the list of all SB1 projects. You might find Route 152 in that -- I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm still going through the May headlines.

[sparker]

Max: I tend not to put headlines on storm closures in the headlines list, because they tend not to be long-term enough to impact my pages, given the frequency of updates. Big ones, such as Route 192 or Big Sur, yes.

Sparker: If you look at the bottom of the linked post, there is the link to the draft SHOPP document (about 450 pages) and the list of all SB1 projects. You might find Route 152 in that -- I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm still going through the May headlines.

Pretty much all the SB-1-related work on CA 152 appears to be down in the San Joaquin Valley; the median barrier from San Luis forebay over to west of Los Banos is probably one of the associated projects; nothing mentioned regarding any improvement on 152 east of Gilroy, although the 101/25 interchange gets a little green square indicating a "spot" improvement at that location. 

Did notice touting of a new CA 12 EB ramp from Jameson Canyon to I-80; IIRC that project is part of the new 80/680 Cordelia interchange, which is aligned slightly west of the current (and long outdated) trumpet.  The plans I've seen provide direct ramps from 680 over to westbound 12 (the Jameson Canyon section) in addition with increased ramp capacity to and from EB I-80/CA 12, with the project limits at the truck scales east of Cordelia.  So it would seem that the new ramp mentioned in the SB 1 public release will probably split into access points for I-680 and I-80/continuation of CA 12; the bottom of that ramp is essentially where the connector from EB I-80 to SB I-680 will be.  That whole area has been a clusterfuck since they started preliminary construction about 2 years ago; the local street network (and access to the gas stations and restaurants at the 80/680 interchange) has undergone extensive revamping to accommodate all the new direct ramps planned for the composite interchange, particularly coming in from WB 80/12.  It'll probably be fine once the project is competed (somewhere around 2020-21), but right now it's a mess.  Again, let's hope SB 1 stands!   

[Max Rockatansky]

Max: I tend not to put headlines on storm closures in the headlines list, because they tend not to be long-term enough to impact my pages, given the frequency of updates. Big ones, such as Route 192 or Big Sur, yes.

The interesting thing is that the closure in the Merced River Canyon is starting to morph into a long term one.  If I recall correctly the roadway closed during the storms in March?  At the time it was feared the Moccasin Reservoir was going fail but it never actually did.  That particular stretch of 49 north of Coulterville to Moccasin just reopened.  I guess that I'm not surprised about the Merced River Canyon segment, that section of 49 is extremely narrow with a ton of slide prone cliffs.