News:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on what errors you encountered from the forum database changes made in Fall 2023. Let us know if you discover anymore.

Main Menu

Westside Parkway & Centennial Corridor (CA 58 realignment, Bakersfield)

Started by bing101, January 07, 2014, 10:51:19 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Bobby5280

Quote from: Max RockatanskyUS 101 between Santa Barbara and Gilroy has numerous expressway segments with numerous heavily utilized at-grade intersections.

US-101 and CA-58/I-40 is an apples to oranges comparison. That section of US-101 doesn't serve the same kind of commercial trunk route purpose as CA-58. There is more in the way of private vehicles on it than heavy trucks. And US-101 had the big disadvantage of being built and very slowly upgraded through already heavily developed areas. It's probably impossible to convert US-101 completely to Interstate standards between LA and San Jose.

CA-58 is a far more remote highway than US-101. That can translate into vehicles and semi trucks driving faster than they would on US-101. And if some random "Cooter Brown" guy with his old pickup truck and trailer of crap is pulling right out into the main lanes of the highway from some at-grade driveway it can create big trouble. That sort of thing happens all the time on divided highways here in Oklahoma. But traffic levels are low enough anyone usually has plenty of room to react and shift lanes. That's not so easy on a far busier "expressway" with more wall to wall semi truck action taking place.

Quote from: Max RockatanskyConsidering the above, with how little the at-grade intersections on CA 58 are east of CA 14 I don't think there is a chance in hell they are ever going to be closed off.

Here in Oklahoma they've tended to perform highway upgrades in response to fatal accidents. Some of the former 2-lane roads in my area were divided for that reason. The concrete Jersey barrier on I-44 was installed in the mid 1990's from Medicine Park to the Missouri border following a multi-fatality head-on collision near Elgin. Maybe action regarding CA-58 will happen via the same template.


Max Rockatansky

US 101 has a crap ton of freight, especially when you get to agricultural centric areas like Salinas Valley.  Traffic accessing US 101 via CA 166, CA 46, CA 156 and CA 152 is largely freight centric. 

Max Rockatansky

I thought this would be worthwhile to add to the discussion.  Below is the 2017 AADTs for US 101 and CA 58.

US 101

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/census/traffic-volumes/2017/route-101

-  The traffic volumes taper off on US 101 north of Santa Barbara towards southern Salinas Valley where it finally drops below 20,000.  From there they gradually climb northward towards Gilroy where it tops 100,000. 

CA 58

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/census/traffic-volumes/2017/route-51-59

-  East or CA 14 the amount of traffic on CA 58 is only over 20,000 at California City Boulevard.  CA 58 even at Bealeville Road and CA 223 is in the 22,000-23,000 range.  Worth noting, even in Bakersfield the AADT for CA 58 doesn't top 100,000.

I think some of you might be seriously underestimating the volume of US 101 and likewise overestimating what is on CA 58.

Also worth your consideration, how busy CA 99 is even north of Sacramento to the Chico area:

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/census/traffic-volumes/2017/route-99

skluth

I'll add that I-10 in West Texas has several at-grade ranch access points. I'd guess the traffic levels and truck percentage there are similar but I don't know the AADT numbers.

sprjus4

Quote from: skluth on January 08, 2023, 08:23:28 PM
I'll add that I-10 in West Texas has several at-grade ranch access points. I'd guess the traffic levels and truck percentage there are similar but I don't know the AADT numbers.
I-40 too, ironically in this case.

To the point Google Maps no longer considers the western section of interstate in Texas to be a "freeway".

pderocco

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 08, 2023, 08:02:53 PM
-  East or CA 14 the amount of traffic on CA 58 is only over 20,000 at California City Boulevard.  CA 58 even at Bealeville Road and CA 223 is in the 22,000-23,000 range.  Worth noting, even in Bakersfield the AADT for CA 58 doesn't top 100,000.

I think some of you might be seriously underestimating the volume of US 101 and likewise overestimating what is on CA 58.

I agree. I've driven Bakersfield to Barstow more times than I can count, and never seen anyone use the at-grade intersections, except of course for CA-223, Bealville Rd, and Cal City Blvd. I've personally used Helendale Rd/Harper Lake Rd half a dozen times, but never seen anyone else on those roads, let alone turning or crossing at that intersection. The fact that these crossings (among other issues) prevent the road from joining the interstate highway system doesn't bother me. That isn't to say that I don't want to see grade separations at those intersections, just that I wouldn't want to waste a bunch of money dealing with all the other unimportant issues just to get a red white and blue road shield.

Max Rockatansky

^^^

And you hit on my point.  While these traffic counts do traditionally justify full limited access it definitely is not the mode of operations for Caltrans do so these days.  Caltrans generally doesn't expand expressways anymore to full limited access unless there is a compulsory push.  If CA 99 didn't get full limited access in Merced County until 2016 and US 101 has expressway segments like Prunedale now, don't hold your breath for fully limited access CA 58 east of Bakersfield. 

pderocco

The difference is in the traffic counts on the cross roads, which are mostly negligible out in the desert. I wonder if they ever bother to subtract adjacent AADT figures to estimate the number of vehicles turning, and factor that into their decisions.

Max Rockatansky

I assume that is a huge consideration.  To that end, there was a ton of side road traffic pulling onto CA 99 in southern Merced County.  The winter fog coupled with the involved traffic volumes really ended up forcing Caltrans D6 to close off the expressway.  I wouldn't be too surprised if the four lane expressway segments of CA 41 and CA 198 are eventually prioritized for similar reasons.  .

The Ghostbuster

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but Google Maps now lists Stockdale Hwy. and the Westside Parkway as part of CA 58: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3706244,-119.1103622,9423m/data=!3m1!1e3. Hagemen Rd. (east of Interstate 5), Enos Ln. (CA 43), and Rosedale Hwy. are no longer marked as CA 58. Has signage in these areas been updated to reflect the relocation of CA 58?

cl94

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on March 20, 2023, 06:30:06 PM
I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but Google Maps now lists Stockdale Hwy. and the Westside Parkway as part of CA 58: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3706244,-119.1103622,9423m/data=!3m1!1e3. Hagemen Rd. (east of Interstate 5), Enos Ln. (CA 43), and Rosedale Hwy. are no longer marked as CA 58. Has signage in these areas been updated to reflect the relocation of CA 58?

Yes, signs were replaced as of November 2022 when I was in the area. Old route of 58 has no evidence on the ground of its existence, connection between Westside Parkway and SR 99 is signed via Mohawk St and Rosedale Hwy. Only place where signs had not been updated was along the mainline of I-5.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

pderocco

Quote from: cl94 on March 20, 2023, 11:07:27 PM
Yes, signs were replaced as of November 2022 when I was in the area. Old route of 58 has no evidence on the ground of its existence, connection between Westside Parkway and SR 99 is signed via Mohawk St and Rosedale Hwy. Only place where signs had not been updated was along the mainline of I-5.

I would have thought California Ave would have been more efficient than Rosedale Hwy. Or is it just that the latter is already advertised as 58 on the signs along 99?

pderocco

Actually, In GSV from Oct/Nov, there's no mention of 58 on the BGSes on I-5, but there are 58 signs at the ends of the ramps. That seems really odd.

roadfro

Quote from: pderocco on March 21, 2023, 02:50:07 AM
Quote from: cl94 on March 20, 2023, 11:07:27 PM
Yes, signs were replaced as of November 2022 when I was in the area. Old route of 58 has no evidence on the ground of its existence, connection between Westside Parkway and SR 99 is signed via Mohawk St and Rosedale Hwy. Only place where signs had not been updated was along the mainline of I-5.

I would have thought California Ave would have been more efficient than Rosedale Hwy. Or is it just that the latter is already advertised as 58 on the signs along 99?

It's likely because Rosedale Hwy was the existing SR 58 west, so no new temporary signage would have been needed along SR 99. That, and Caltrans likely still has the ROW along Rosedale Hwy, so it minimizes signed temporary diverting of state highway traffic on local streets (just Mohawk).
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

cl94

Caltrans relinquished west of Mohawk, but kept east of there on the system for the time being.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

Max Rockatansky

Which shows as a gap on the Postmile Tool presently.  Stockdale Highway appears now with R Suffix Postmiles for Route 58.

roadfro

MOD NOTE: The question posed in response to the previous post about the California postmile system and ensuing discussion was moved to a separate California Postmiles thread for potential further discussion. –Roadfro
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

GaryA

Quote from: pderocco on March 21, 2023, 02:57:12 AM
Actually, In GSV from Oct/Nov, there's no mention of 58 on the BGSes on I-5, but there are 58 signs at the ends of the ramps. That seems really odd.

Having driven I-5 this past weekend, I can report that I-5 southbound has been fully resigned regarding CA 58.

Two mileage signs now list Jct (58) West / Jct (58) East / Los Angeles; the previous CA 58 exit is now labelled (58) West / Buttonwillow / McKittrick; and Stockdale Hwy is labelled (58) East / Bakersfield / Stockdale Hwy.

Northbound I-5 has not been updated (aside from the above-mentioned "(58) East -->" at the top of the Stockdale Hwy ramp). But most traffic heading for Bakersfield would have used CA 99 earlier

One remaining oddity in this area is that the exit before CA 58 is now labelled "Buttonwillow / McKittrick", very similar to the CA 58 West signage (this exit can be used as a cutoff to CA 58).

cl94

Quote from: GaryA on March 28, 2023, 05:31:08 PM
Quote from: pderocco on March 21, 2023, 02:57:12 AM
Actually, In GSV from Oct/Nov, there's no mention of 58 on the BGSes on I-5, but there are 58 signs at the ends of the ramps. That seems really odd.

Having driven I-5 this past weekend, I can report that I-5 southbound has been fully resigned regarding CA 58.

Two mileage signs now list Jct (58) West / Jct (58) East / Los Angeles; the previous CA 58 exit is now labelled (58) West / Buttonwillow / McKittrick; and Stockdale Hwy is labelled (58) East / Bakersfield / Stockdale Hwy.

Northbound I-5 has not been updated (aside from the above-mentioned "(58) East -->" at the top of the Stockdale Hwy ramp). But most traffic heading for Bakersfield would have used CA 99 earlier

One remaining oddity in this area is that the exit before CA 58 is now labelled "Buttonwillow / McKittrick", very similar to the CA 58 West signage (this exit can be used as a cutoff to CA 58).

That's new since I was through in November. Nice to see that they've made the changes.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

SeriesE

Apple Maps is now showing the Westside Parkway connected to CA-58, but using a traffic incident to mark the connector as closed.

sprjus4


skluth

Quote from: sprjus4 on April 13, 2023, 10:24:21 PM
When is the extension finally supposed to open?

According to this article from last October, sometime in July. Or August. Or September. Yeah, they don't know either. The official website is pretty useless.

thsftw


cl94

Quote from: thsftw on April 17, 2023, 12:09:34 PM
This is the latest flyover I found from Youtube - looks like quite a lot of work still.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq8BksE75o8&t=247s&pp=ygUmd2VzdHNpZGUgcGFya3dheSBiYWtlcnNmaWVsZCBleHRlbnNpb24%3D

The rough winter probably delayed things a bit. Can't do the remaining work if it's raining every day as was the case for a few months.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

brad2971

Just look at this nice sign Caltrans (District 6) put up at the Stockdale Hwy exit:

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3579397,-119.3404596,3a,75y,166.84h,76.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s289jkjuF2jgLzeIga0EPzw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Looks like they're just about finished, if the Memorial Day video from The Heightened Perspective is any indicator.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.