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CA-58 Kramer Junction Bypass

Started by myosh_tino, July 09, 2016, 03:00:43 PM

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myosh_tino

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on December 22, 2016, 04:32:44 PM
Hopefully this bypass will be built eventually. Will the CA-58/US 395 junction have an interchange? I think it would be foolish to have the two highways meet at-grade.

Yes, plans call for an interchange between 58 and 395 although it won't be a freeway-to-freeway interchange.  I believe traffic exiting onto 395 will have to deal with an at-grade intersection probably controlled by signals.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.


sparker

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 22, 2016, 04:30:41 PM
Quote from: myosh_tino on December 22, 2016, 03:54:31 PM
Ran across an article from the L.A. Times dated March 9, 2016 regarding the transportation funding crisis facing the state of California.  It's reported that the $155 million Kramer Junction Bypass is one of the projects that could either be delayed or cancelled due to this funding crisis...

Quote
In San Bernardino County, the biggest of five projects at risk for cutback or elimination is the Kramer Junction four-lane expressway, with $155,095,000 potentially on the chopping block

This might explain why this project hasn't gone out to bid.

Great and I was hoping to actually not get stuck at the railroad tracks at Boron at some point in the next ten years.  Might have to put that little dream to bed for good since I'll probably long moved on whenever it gets built at that this rate.  :-D
Quote from: myosh_tino on December 22, 2016, 05:05:46 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on December 22, 2016, 04:32:44 PM
Hopefully this bypass will be built eventually. Will the CA-58/US 395 junction have an interchange? I think it would be foolish to have the two highways meet at-grade.

Yes, plans call for an interchange between 58 and 395 although it won't be a freeway-to-freeway interchange.  I believe traffic exiting onto 395 will have to deal with an at-grade intersection probably controlled by signals.

Hopefully, since the cited article regarding the shortfall was published 9 months ago, the delay or cancellation of this (and other) project(s) has yet to materialize -- so there's some glimmer of hope yet that we'll see this done in our lifetimes.  And IIRC the planned 58/395 interchange will be a simple diamond; it's a bit far-field from an urban setting to warrant a SPUI or other modified concept.  Besides, if 395 is reconfigured as an expressway or better, it'll likely be on a new alignment away from Kramer Corners (and with a bridge over the BNSF tracks), requiring a new interchange with 58 in any instance.   

Max Rockatansky

Honestly I'd just be happy with an overpass of the railroad tracks at this point.  It seems like on the really bad days that is point of origin for the eastbound traffic bog down, even more than the US 395 junction.

sparker

#28
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 22, 2016, 09:54:00 PM
Honestly I'd just be happy with an overpass of the railroad tracks at this point.  It seems like on the really bad days that is point of origin for the eastbound traffic bog down, even more than the US 395 junction.

If you're experiencing inordinate delays at the 58 rail crossing west of Kramer,  it must be happening on the months that UP is dispatching on the joint line shared with BNSF from Mojave to Bakersfield.  A while back, before about 1991 or so, all dispatching of that line was done by SP, then the owner of the tracks (Santa Fe was a tenant with trackage rights).  However, in those days SP had a perennial cash flow problem, so when necessary major trackwork was needed, SP asked ATSF to pitch in most of the money; they did so, but a new agreement was made whereby SP would dispatch for 6 months of the year, and Santa Fe would follow suit for the remainder of the year.  Of course, when dispatching each tended to favor their own trains.  This agreement continued after Santa Fe merged with BN to become BNSF and UP absorbed SP (all in '95-'96).  Santa Fe and successor BNSF learned the best way to deal with SP/UP dispatching practice was to lengthen their trains (mostly containerized cargo) to at or near the FRRA maximum (132 individual railcars).  These trains are assembled westbound at Barstow and eastbound at either Richmond or Stockton.  So the trains are longer than usually found; if they're going westbound, they're going up about a 1.4% grade around Kramer, so they're not exactly setting any speed records!  Thus both the 395 and 58 crossings are blocked for extended periods of time while the trains pass.  Eastbound the trains can go like a bat out of hell, but they rarely do so because the westbounds are given priority at passing tracks because it's a pain in the ass to start a long train from a dead stop on an uphill grade!   Until there are grade separations, this BNSF segment is going to be problematic for traffic in the area.

Max Rockatansky

Probably would explain why the truck traffic bogs down so much.  Those truckers generally take that crossing pretty slow to begin with, any stoppage and it basically is a crawl past the tracks to 395.

sparker

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 23, 2016, 01:01:48 AM
Probably would explain why the truck traffic bogs down so much.  Those truckers generally take that crossing pretty slow to begin with, any stoppage and it basically is a crawl past the tracks to 395.

Also, the timing of the signal at Kramer junction doesn't seem to take into consideration the differential between the traffic flow on CA 58 vis-a-vis US 395.  Volume-wise, there's much more traffic E-W; a lot of the traffic to and from US 395 to the south originates on or turns west onto 58; overall 395 volume decreases dramatically north of the junction.  That's probably the only saving grace of the whole present situation; if 395 traffic at its RR crossing even came close to that along 58, the infamous Kramer congestion would deteriorate into constant gridlock, with the "box" perpetually occupied by stopped vehicles!  :wow:

coatimundi

I went through Hinkley this past weekend. Hinkley Road's approach to the new freeway is complete and striped but the road was still closed. It looked like they may be ready to open it this week though. The actual freeway still seemed to be pretty far off from being completed though. It looked to be mostly graded but there was no pavement.

Kramer Junction was in the same piss poor state that it's been in for years.

myosh_tino

Quote from: coatimundi on January 03, 2017, 12:11:55 PM
I went through Hinkley this past weekend. Hinkley Road's approach to the new freeway is complete and striped but the road was still closed. It looked like they may be ready to open it this week though. The actual freeway still seemed to be pretty far off from being completed though. It looked to be mostly graded but there was no pavement.

From what I saw back in October, the west end looked like the concrete for the travel lanes had been poured but the shoulders had not been paved yet.  I will admit this was hard to determine because the white concrete blended in real well with the desert landscape.

Quote from: coatimundi on January 03, 2017, 12:11:55 PM
Kramer Junction was in the same piss poor state that it's been in for years.

That's not surprising since that bypass project has not gone out to bid yet.  Not sure when that will happen through due to funding issues.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

coatimundi

Quote from: myosh_tino on January 03, 2017, 03:57:08 PM
Quote from: coatimundi on January 03, 2017, 12:11:55 PM
I went through Hinkley this past weekend. Hinkley Road's approach to the new freeway is complete and striped but the road was still closed. It looked like they may be ready to open it this week though. The actual freeway still seemed to be pretty far off from being completed though. It looked to be mostly graded but there was no pavement.

From what I saw back in October, the west end looked like the concrete for the travel lanes had been poured but the shoulders had not been paved yet.  I will admit this was hard to determine because the white concrete blended in real well with the desert landscape.

I only got a decent look at the eastern end, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong. I didn't get a look at the western end at all.

Quote from: myosh_tino on January 03, 2017, 03:57:08 PM
Quote from: coatimundi on January 03, 2017, 12:11:55 PM
Kramer Junction was in the same piss poor state that it's been in for years.

That's not surprising since that bypass project has not gone out to bid yet.  Not sure when that will happen through due to funding issues.

That was more of a joke and a lament about that area. I think there are some easy and much less costly intersection improvements that could be done.

myosh_tino

Quote from: coatimundi on January 03, 2017, 05:17:23 PM
That was more of a joke and a lament about that area. I think there are some easy and much less costly intersection improvements that could be done.

Like what?  A roundabout (j/k)?  :bigass:
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

coatimundi

There was an article in the local paper this past week where my little town's mayor was just gushing how great roundabouts are. "Once people get used to them, then they like them." Marina has been very roundabout happy the last few years.

With Kramer, I doubt that it's even feasible, but I am pretty certain that it's been proposed by someone at some point. It seems to be the new easy answer to intersection problems.

Bickendan

Quote from: myosh_tino on January 03, 2017, 07:00:10 PM
Quote from: coatimundi on January 03, 2017, 05:17:23 PM
That was more of a joke and a lament about that area. I think there are some easy and much less costly intersection improvements that could be done.

Like what?  A roundabout (j/k)?  :bigass:
Better yet: A Magic Roundabout!

Bobby5280

Roundabouts are okay for medium and slow speed traffic. They're absolutely terrible for any highway carrying high speed, long distance traffic. In essence, they're a glorified at grade intersection with no stop lights. It would be stupid to work in a roundabout into the Kramer Junction Bypass unless the roundabout part was large and grade separated from the main highway. Might as well build a conventional diamond interchange or SPUI at that point.

compdude787

I agree that a roundabout would not work there. Capacity-wise, roundabouts are really just a step up from four-way stops and they probably have about the same capacity as a traffic signal does.

don1991

The Hinkley Freeway is now open to traffic in both directions.  Eastbound opened on March 13th, Westbound opened yesterday.  I drove it last night.  Still some work to do:

1)  Lenwood Road exit not open in the westbound direction and neither is the WB on-ramp.  With Old 58 now closed, Caltrans will finish the overpass of Lenwood (which will also overpass old 58) and then open the exit.   EB Lenwood IC is open allowing travel to Lenwood southbound.  All directions of the Hinkley Road interchange are open.

2)  Interchange lighting is not yet in operation so Caltrans thoughtfully placed portable lighting to allow for better visibility.

Despite the name "Hinkley Expressway" given to the project, this is indeed a FREEWAY for its entire length except for the first 1/2 mile at the west end where it connects to the existing expressway.  An at-grade intersection (not yet open) with Wagner Road was built.  After this, the freeway begins and a white "Begin Freeway" sign has been placed.

Other smaller work to be done includes:

- Removal of a signal ahead sign on the existing 58 Freeway past Main Street (and before Lenwood Road).
- A "Begin Freeway" sign eastbound, past the Lenwood Rd interchange needs to be removed.  This is because the freeway now begins just east of Wagner Road.

Very nice and I love freeways and this one was sorely needed but even I will admit that Hinkley got screwed a little.  Other than the two interchanges - Hinkley Road and Lenwood Road (and really only the Hinkley Road IC serves the community), no other overpasses exist.  So the community (what is left of it anyway - another sad story in its own right) is split in two with only two possible ways over the freeway.  All other north-south streets have been turned into cul-de-sacs at the freeway.  It would be nice for the area to have at least one additional non-interchange overpass.

I am sure this was a cost-saving matter and IMO it would have been more dangerous to allow cross traffic via intersections.  But providing at least 1 or two more overpasses would have been helpful.

Now once the Kramer Bypass Expressway is finished (construction should start later this year), then 58 is a complete four-lane freeway or expressway from Interstate 15 at the east end to Stockdale Highway (just west of Allen Road) (west end of the Westside Parkway, which soon will be re-numbered as 58 once the Centennial Freeway is complete) in Bakersfield at the west end.  Once Centennial is complete, Caltrans expects to shift 58 to the Centennial / Westside Parkway and continue the route numbering onto Stockdale Highway up to Interstate 5 until the rest of the freeway can be built westward to Interstate 5.

Don

nexus73

Hallelujah!  Progressives Against Progress can't stop everything...LOL!  My question is what about US 395 at Kramer Junction.  What is the plan for that section?

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

don1991

Quote from: nexus73 on March 24, 2017, 10:33:39 PM
Hallelujah!  Progressives Against Progress can't stop everything...LOL!  My question is what about US 395 at Kramer Junction.  What is the plan for that section?

Rick

----

The Kramer Junction Expressway appears to be more expressway than freeway.  The only freeway interchange will be with US-395 and as others have mentioned, this won't be freeway-to-freeway; instead, CA-58 will be the freeway and US-395 will be treated as the arterial road.

The new 58 Expressway will be separated from the railroad crossing by a bridge.  Other than that, I don't believe any other freeway interchanges are planned; thus this should be a true expressway with at-grade intersections, albeit very low volume, which is probably this won't be freeway.  It made sense for the Hinkley portion to be freeway given that there still is some semblance of a community in Hinkley.

Going west, once Kramer Junction Expressway is complete, the expressway will turn into the Boron Bypass Freeway that exists now.  So 58 will be an expressway between Boron and Hinkley.

Don

sparker

Quote from: don1991 on March 25, 2017, 01:53:21 AM
Quote from: nexus73 on March 24, 2017, 10:33:39 PM
Hallelujah!  Progressives Against Progress can't stop everything...LOL!  My question is what about US 395 at Kramer Junction.  What is the plan for that section?

Rick

----

The Kramer Junction Expressway appears to be more expressway than freeway.  The only freeway interchange will be with US-395 and as others have mentioned, this won't be freeway-to-freeway; instead, CA-58 will be the freeway and US-395 will be treated as the arterial road.

The new 58 Expressway will be separated from the railroad crossing by a bridge.  Other than that, I don't believe any other freeway interchanges are planned; thus this should be a true expressway with at-grade intersections, albeit very low volume, which is probably this won't be freeway.  It made sense for the Hinkley portion to be freeway given that there still is some semblance of a community in Hinkley.

Going west, once Kramer Junction Expressway is complete, the expressway will turn into the Boron Bypass Freeway that exists now.  So 58 will be an expressway between Boron and Hinkley.

Don

Well, it's a start anyway.  At this point, without solid plans to construct a freeway/expressway facility along US 395 in the area (which would involve a Kramer bypass on that road as well), a diamond or parclo with 58 as the through freeway is appropriate.  Upgrades can and likely will come in time as the need (or perception of such) presents itself.

myosh_tino

Quote from: don1991 on March 24, 2017, 07:10:29 PM
The Hinkley Freeway is now open to traffic in both directions.  Eastbound opened on March 13th, Westbound opened yesterday.  I drove it last night.  Still some work to do:

1)  Lenwood Road exit not open in the westbound direction and neither is the WB on-ramp.  With Old 58 now closed, Caltrans will finish the overpass of Lenwood (which will also overpass old 58) and then open the exit.   EB Lenwood IC is open allowing travel to Lenwood southbound.  All directions of the Hinkley Road interchange are open.

As someone who's been following the progress on this project, it's about time.  Too bad the earliest I will be able to drive the bypass will be in late October.

I'm not surprised that portions of the Lenwood Rd interchange aren't finished yet.  Caltrans had to get the new mainline open first because the ramps to and from WB 58 will be built on top of the old road.


Quote from: don1991 on March 24, 2017, 07:10:29 PM
Despite the name "Hinkley Expressway" given to the project, this is indeed a FREEWAY for its entire length except for the first 1/2 mile at the west end where it connects to the existing expressway.  An at-grade intersection (not yet open) with Wagner Road was built.  After this, the freeway begins and a white "Begin Freeway" sign has been placed.

Interesting.  I thought that might have been an error but looking at the project plans, it does call for a BEGIN FREEWAY sign (Calif Sign Code R57) to be placed after the at-grade intersection at the west end of the bypass.  Perhaps there's some blurring of the lines between what's an "Expressway" and what's a "Freeway".  The project did call for the bypass to be built to "Expressway Standards".


Quote from: don1991 on March 24, 2017, 07:10:29 PM
Very nice and I love freeways and this one was sorely needed but even I will admit that Hinkley got screwed a little.  Other than the two interchanges - Hinkley Road and Lenwood Road (and really only the Hinkley Road IC serves the community), no other overpasses exist.  So the community (what is left of it anyway - another sad story in its own right) is split in two with only two possible ways over the freeway.  All other north-south streets have been turned into cul-de-sacs at the freeway.  It would be nice for the area to have at least one additional non-interchange overpass.

I am sure this was a cost-saving matter and IMO it would have been more dangerous to allow cross traffic via intersections.  But providing at least 1 or two more overpasses would have been helpful.

The way I see it, the community of Hinkley is too small to justify the expense of building additional overpasses to connect this community.


Quote from: don1991 on March 24, 2017, 07:10:29 PM
Now once the Kramer Bypass Expressway is finished (construction should start later this year), then 58 is a complete four-lane freeway or expressway from Interstate 15 at the east end to Stockdale Highway (just west of Allen Road) (west end of the Westside Parkway, which soon will be re-numbered as 58 once the Centennial Freeway is complete) in Bakersfield at the west end.

Where did you get the info about Kramer Junction Bypass project starting later this year?  The last I heard, funding for that project got cut in 2016 due to budget issues.  As far as I know, the Kramer Junction project has not even gone out to bid on the Caltrans website.  Once it does, we'll have a better idea on when construction will start and when the project will be completed.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

kkt

Will US 395 be 4 lanes through the junction?  Did they save space for a freeway to freeway interchange to be built in the future, when needed?

myosh_tino

Quote from: kkt on March 27, 2017, 10:24:47 AM
Will US 395 be 4 lanes through the junction?  Did they save space for a freeway to freeway interchange to be built in the future, when needed?

IIRC, there are plans for a US 395 expressway on a new alignment east of the current highway.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

sparker

Quote from: myosh_tino on March 27, 2017, 11:19:29 AM
Quote from: kkt on March 27, 2017, 10:24:47 AM
Will US 395 be 4 lanes through the junction?  Did they save space for a freeway to freeway interchange to be built in the future, when needed?

IIRC, there are plans for a US 395 expressway on a new alignment east of the current highway.

There's a longstanding adopted route about 3/4 mile east of present 395, but it hasn't shown up on any STIP as of yet and hasn't, AFAIK, been prioritized in any manner.  In this region, 58 functions as the attractant for any available funding -- or even attention, due to its status as a major interregional/commercial connector in need of capacity upgrades.  Once it's at least an expressway along its full length, attention may start to be paid to other arterials such as 395 -- or even a direct connector to the 14 freeway near Mojave.

myosh_tino

Seeing how there's been very little new news about the Kramer Junction Bypass project, I revisited the Ready-To-List map on the District 8 website and was disappointed to see the Kramer Junction Bypass was removed from the map.

Knowing that funding became an issue in 2016, I checked the list of projects being funded by the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and found that the funding for the Kramer Junction Bypass project (about $30.5 million) has been delayed to the 2019-2020 timeframe meaning it probably wouldn't open until 2024 at the earliest. :(
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

kkt

Quote from: myosh_tino on July 24, 2017, 02:34:12 AM
Seeing how there's been very little new news about the Kramer Junction Bypass project, I revisited the Ready-To-List map on the District 8 website and was disappointed to see the Kramer Junction Bypass was removed from the map.

Knowing that funding became an issue in 2016, I checked the list of projects being funded by the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and found that the funding for the Kramer Junction Bypass project (about $30.5 million) has been delayed to the 2019-2020 timeframe meaning it probably wouldn't open until 2024 at the earliest. :(

  :banghead:


Max Rockatansky

Interesting how the bypass can't get funded even with the road repair bill and gas tax increases that will occurring because of it. 



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