California

[kkt]

I'm kind of surprised that was someone from Los Angeles County and not a Bay Area County proposing that.

It's the same lady representative who has been bitching and whining about the 710, 605, and I-5 expansions claiming the freeway widenings are racist. This seems ridiculous to me as the majority of people in these communities drive.

How about more sensible approaches like buying a row or two of homes/businesses along the freeway and placing forests/linear parks along the freeway to offset the emissions. Or if that's too expensive in the meantime just plant more trees/landscaping in these areas.

It is ridiculous, but playing up racial victimhood is very trendy these days. Look at the people claiming Maryland's plan to widen 270 and the Beltway through extremely wealthy Montgomery County is racist.

Also, the proliferation of electric cars and trucks makes pollution a bad faith argument for not improving freeways.

I wouldn't say that.  It's looking like excess pollution around freeway will continue for several decades at least, possibly longer.  Electric cars are a small minority, electric light trucks even smaller, and electric heavy trucks practically nonexistent.

A Harvard Study found deaths from vehicle emissions fell by almost 30% between 2008 and 2017. Air pollution is a problem that gets smaller every year as older, more polluting cars are scrapped and replaced by cleaner newer ones.

Also, commercial vehicles are probably going to electrify faster, due to economics and regulations

Those years include the Cash for Clunkers program of 2009.

[SeriesE]

^^^
Glad to see partial cloverleafs are still being built. Seems like they have been less popular the last twenty years (outside of a few select states).

California is a great place if you like partial cloverleaf interchanges. Cal trans still prefers them and simple diamonds over more innovative interchange designs.

[kernals12]

^^^
Glad to see partial cloverleafs are still being built. Seems like they have been less popular the last twenty years (outside of a few select states).

California is a great place if you like partial cloverleaf interchanges. Cal trans still prefers them and simple diamonds over more innovative interchange designs.

They have built a few DDIs

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^
Glad to see partial cloverleafs are still being built. Seems like they have been less popular the last twenty years (outside of a few select states).

California is a great place if you like partial cloverleaf interchanges. Cal trans still prefers them and simple diamonds over more innovative interchange designs.

How are simple diamonds or other interchanges more effective than partial cloverleafs?

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^
Glad to see partial cloverleafs are still being built. Seems like they have been less popular the last twenty years (outside of a few select states).

California is a great place if you like partial cloverleaf interchanges. Cal trans still prefers them and simple diamonds over more innovative interchange designs.

How are simple diamonds or other interchanges more effective than partial cloverleafs?

Part of the issue with implementation of newer designs is that the freeway corridors in this state generally are very old.  Most interchanges are heavily built up and likely would require additional right of way for more modern designs, not a popular notion in urban areas suffice to say.  At least for the most part things like right on right off ramps are gradually being phased out.

[Lukeisroads]

I'm kind of surprised that was someone from Los Angeles County and not a Bay Area County proposing that.

It's the same lady representative who has been bitching and whining about the 710, 605, and I-5 expansions claiming the freeway widenings are racist. This seems ridiculous to me as the majority of people in these communities drive.

How about more sensible approaches like buying a row or two of homes/businesses along the freeway and placing forests/linear parks along the freeway to offset the emissions. Or if that's too expensive in the meantime just plant more trees/landscaping in these areas.

hey thats california for you

[skluth]

I'm kind of surprised that was someone from Los Angeles County and not a Bay Area County proposing that.

It's the same lady representative who has been bitching and whining about the 710, 605, and I-5 expansions claiming the freeway widenings are racist. This seems ridiculous to me as the majority of people in these communities drive.

How about more sensible approaches like buying a row or two of homes/businesses along the freeway and placing forests/linear parks along the freeway to offset the emissions. Or if that's too expensive in the meantime just plant more trees/landscaping in these areas.

hey thats california for you

It's also expensive, and leaves "unused" and "useless" land that eventually becomes more freeway lanes when that highway becomes too congested. Those linear parks wouldn't last ten years before they'd be bulldozed in the name of progress.

[bing101]

Here is a tour of CA-24 and I-980.

[skluth]

Riverside County traffic announcement

All Westbound 91 Freeway Lanes To Close This Weekend

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – Weather permitting, all westbound 91 Freeway lanes will close this weekend – between state Route 71 in Corona and the 241 Toll Road in Anaheim Hills – for construction work, it was announced Monday.

The full closure will last from 11 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Saturday to allow crews to install an overhead sign across the lanes – one of the last pieces of the Riverside County Transportation Commission 91 Corridor Operations Project.

To support the closure, the westbound 91 Express Lanes in Riverside and Orange counties, the westbound Green River Road on-ramp and off-ramp, the southbound 71/westbound 91 connector, and the northbound 15/westbound 91 Express Lanes connector will be closed starting as early as 8 p.m. Friday.

Link for full article

[ClassicHasClass]

The extra lane will be worth it.

[Plutonic Panda]

The extra lane will be worth it.

Yes it will and I can't wait for the 241 connector for the HOT lanes.

[Techknow]

It's been mentioned in this forum that there's only two known Clearview signs in any California highway. Now only one remains! The Clearview sign at the CA/AR border of I-10 has been replaced with a Caltrans spec sign. The other sign is a weigh station sign also on I-10.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6056159,-114.5350825,3a,75y,110.55h,80.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sB2yQQo0ycdFnv70a-3_pzQ!2e0!5s20190501T000000!7i16384!8i8192

[ClassicHasClass]

The Ehrenberg/Parker sign is a special case, though: it was ADOT-spec and erected by Caltrans.

[andy3175]

I have seen a few signs with Clearview font for local wayfinding sign programs in places such as downtown San Diego, and I've also seen Clearview font for some airport signage. I agree that there are almost no Clearview signs on state-maintained highways. A few that used to exist, such as those with Arizona DOT standards on I-10 and I-8, are now replaced with Caltrans standards.

[jdbx]

I have seen a few signs with Clearview font for local wayfinding sign programs in places such as downtown San Diego, and I've also seen Clearview font for some airport signage. I agree that there are almost no Clearview signs on state-maintained highways. A few that used to exist, such as those with Arizona DOT standards on I-10 and I-8, are now replaced with Caltrans standards.

As much as I dislike Clearview, the inset tab feels like a step backwards for this sign.  I'm aware that standards were recently changed for overhead signs to allow for external tabs, I wonder if external tabs will ever start to appear on ground-mounted signs as well.

[skluth]

Caltrans to replace rock canopy in Highway 70 tunnel, expect delays next week

PLUMAS COUNTY, Calif. - Caltrans said drivers should expect delays at the Elephant Butte Tunnel on Highway 70 this coming Monday through Wednesday.

There will be traffic control in the area of the tunnel as crews repair and replace the rock canopy.

Caltrans expects delays to be about 15 minutes.

This is not the only site of construction along Highway 70 between Jarbo Gap and the Greenville Wye, Caltrans says. People should expect 30 to 60 minute delays Mondays through Saturdays, with minimal delays anticipated for Sundays.

[Max Rockatansky]

Caltrans to replace rock canopy in Highway 70 tunnel, expect delays next week

PLUMAS COUNTY, Calif. - Caltrans said drivers should expect delays at the Elephant Butte Tunnel on Highway 70 this coming Monday through Wednesday.

There will be traffic control in the area of the tunnel as crews repair and replace the rock canopy.

Caltrans expects delays to be about 15 minutes.

This is not the only site of construction along Highway 70 between Jarbo Gap and the Greenville Wye, Caltrans says. People should expect 30 to 60 minute delays Mondays through Saturdays, with minimal delays anticipated for Sundays.

Better than being closed.  70 took a beating this past year from all the fire associated damage.

[roadfro]

Mod Note: I split off the recent posts related to California Agricultural Inspection Stations, and a few others from February 2021, and put them into the following dedicated thread. I figured it might be better to have a dedicated thread for further inquiry and discussion. –Roadfro

California Agricultural Inspection Stations

[Max Rockatansky]

Mod Note: I split off the recent posts related to California Agricultural Inspection Stations, and a few others from February 2021, and put them into the following dedicated thread. I figured it might be better to have a dedicated thread for further inquiry and discussion. –Roadfro

California Agricultural Inspection Stations

Would it be possible to spin the CA 118 talk into this thread?

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25487.msg2437354#msg2437354

[roadfro]

Would it be possible to spin the CA 118 talk into this thread?

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25487.msg2437354#msg2437354

Done!

[gonealookin]

Caltrans has a major rehabilitation project in the works for the 31.7-mile Alpine County section of SR 4, with construction scheduled from 2025-2028.  This is the section over Ebbetts Pass that includes quite a few miles without a center stripe.  It doesn't look like there's any widening of the roadway involved, and skimming through the linked documentation it seems this roadway will remain a one-laner after the work is completed.

Caltrans SR 4 Pavement Anchor Project

[Plutonic Panda]

How is that road? It's on my list to clinch this summer.

[gonealookin]

Scenic, steep, narrow, winding with some tight hairpin curves.  It's fun to drive if you have time and patience, but is mostly useful for access to trailheads and recreational areas and is not a very efficient way to cross the Sierra; CA 88 which parallels it to the north is the speedy route.  CA 4 opens for the summer after snow clearance and any necessary repairs around the second week of May, on average.

Here's Max's thread:  https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=23391.0

[Max Rockatansky]

How is that road? It's on my list to clinch this summer.

Here you go if you wanted something hyper detailed:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2018/08/trans-sierra-highways-california-state.html?m=1

The narrow road isn't really that big of a deal.  It might not have a center stripe but is just as wide as a lot of rural two lane stuff on the county level.  The incline grades are the real deal though, they are very sustained.  I usually find myself using 2nd gear if not 1st from time to time if I'm heading east. 

[J N Winkler]

I followed SR 4 over Ebbetts Pass when I last visited California, in September 2014.  I believe it still has more one-lane segments than any other California state highway, though there are now interruptions where bridges have been replaced with a full two-lane cross-section.

Though it has been signposted with a 24% maximum grade, I found it to be fairly tame because of the switchbacks and had little difficulty negotiating it in a 1994 Saturn SL2 with automatic transmission that is not allowed on the Mount Washington Auto Road because it has no "1" range (i.e., cannot be downshifted far enough that automatic upshifts to 2nd gear are prohibited).  Marin Avenue in Berkeley is still my personal gold standard for scary in California.