Recent posts

#1

Southeast / Re: Georgia

Last post by ChiMilNet - Today at 04:04:13 PM

Looks like widening if I-16 West of Savannah is being accelerated. This will definitely help with regional traffic, as this is the main way to get from Atlanta to Coastal Georgia.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/georgia-department-transportation-says-project-090951023.html

#2

General Highway Talk / Re: Old perceptions that linge...

Last post by Roadgeekteen - Today at 03:56:15 PM

Cities = BAD, suburbs = GOOD?

Not according to House Hunters. They're always paying more for a smaller house in the city because it's close to shops, restaurants and bars.

whether cities or suburbs are better really depends on your life stage and your lifestyle choices.

#3

General Highway Talk / Re: Old perceptions that linge...

Last post by GaryV - Today at 03:54:49 PM

Cities = BAD, suburbs = GOOD?

Not according to House Hunters. They're always paying more for a smaller house in the city because it's close to shops, restaurants and bars.

#4

Traffic Control / Re: Guess the speed limit chal...

Last post by ElishaGOtis - Today at 03:23:10 PM

45 mph

Not 45

Incorrect guesses so far:
50
45

#5

Northeast / Re: PA Turnpike News

Last post by 74/171FAN - Today at 01:53:30 PM

PennDOT - District 6 News: PA Turnpike Bridge Construction to Close Newportville Road in Bristol, Bensalem Townships

#6

Pacific Southwest / Re: 7th Street Bridge (US 99 1...

Last post by cahwyguy - Today at 01:35:45 PM

As you can tell, I'm going through CTC Minutes. Yet another "future consideration of funding" item is the replacement of the 7th Street Bridge: https://catc.ca.gov/-/media/ctc-media/documents/ctc-meetings/2025/2025-10/75-2-2c7-a11y.pdf

The Project is located on 7th
Street over the Tuolumne River in the City of Modesto and Stanislaus County (see map in
Attachment F). The Project would replace the existing two-lane bridge with a four-lane bridge
that corrects structural and hydraulic deficiencies and improves safety for vehicles, bicyclists,
and pedestrians.

The 7th Street corridor is one of several north-south roadways connecting downtown
Modesto with areas south of the Tuolumne River.

• The 7th Street Bridge is listed on the Caltrans local bridge list with a sufficiency rating of
2. Sufficiency rating values range from 0 (low) to 100 (high). The low sufficiency rating is
due to structural deficiencies (because of excessive deflections on the structure),
functional deficiencies (because of its inadequate width), and load restrictions of 4 tons.
The structure is also vulnerable to collapse during an earthquake or flood event. The 7th
Street Bridge's sufficiency rating is one of the worst in California, and the structural and
functional deficiencies must be corrected and load carrying capacity restored so it may
continue to be used.

• 7th Street is an important two-lane arterial roadway that carries traffic to and from
downtown Modesto, linking the surrounding neighborhoods and communities. Currently,
traffic estimates for the 7th Street Bridge are 15,900 average trips per day. Projected
future traffic on the 7th Street Bridge is estimated at 20,100 average trips per day. With
no improvements, the 7th Street Bridge is anticipated to operate at unacceptable Level
of Service (LOS) "F" in the future. For this reason, the Stanislaus Council of
Governments 2014 Regional Transportation Plan identified the need to increase the 7th
Street Bridge vehicular capacity from two lanes to four lanes. In the project area, 7th
Street is designated as a four-lane road by the City of Modesto and Stanislaus County.

• Currently, the 7th Street Bridge has a narrow, substandard pedestrian walkway along
each side that places pedestrians very close to vehicular traffic. The bridge does not
provide dedicated bicycle infrastructure. Vehicles and bicycles must share a single,
narrow travel lane with no shoulder which increases vehicle/bicycle conflicts. The
substandard pedestrian walkways and lack of bicycle infrastructure is inconsistent with
the Modesto Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan, which calls for a complete
network of bikeways, walkways, trails, and paths that serve all non-motorized groups.
The Modesto Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan designates a Class II Bike
Lane along the 7th Street Bridge corridor. The master plan defines a Class II Bike Lane
as "striped and stenciled lane for one-way travel on a street or highway."

• The 7th Street Bridge project would correct each of these existing deficiencies. These
considerations identify why, in the County's judgement, the Project and its benefits to
the County outweigh its unavoidable significant environmental impacts.

#7

General Highway Talk / Re: Daily conversation: What ...

Last post by xonhulu - Today at 01:21:02 PM

15 October 2025:

Why did they designate I-99?

Bud Shuster also had a dog/baby-related vendetta against Opabinio Burgess.

#8

Southeast / Re: Carolina Bays Parkway (SC ...

Last post by PColumbus73 - Today at 01:01:27 PM

Are there any plans to extend it farther southwest towards Georgetown and Charleston? I know US 17 is hopelessly congested between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, particularly through Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island, and there is no room to upgrade or expand it there.

One major challenge is that it would have to cross the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers on a causeway or bridge, which would be quite expensive. It's the only option due to development.

I'm pretty confident that SC 31 will not extend outside Horry County.

But, I do believe that when the SC 22 extension (originally called the SELL (Southern Evacuation Lifeline), that the plan would be for SC 31 to have a minor extension to meet it. SC 22 is expected to end at US 17 near Glenns Bay / Holmestown Road.

#9

General Highway Talk / Re: Old perceptions that linge...

Last post by mgk920 - Today at 12:58:00 PM

Cities = BAD, suburbs = GOOD?

Mike

[Stakeholder Feedback]

#10

Pacific Southwest / Re: Closed Section of Route 39...

Last post by cahwyguy - Today at 12:42:39 PM

I"m going through the October 2025 CTC Agenda, and this item is there for future consideration of funding: https://catc.ca.gov/-/media/ctc-media/documents/ctc-meetings/2025/2025-10/74-2-2c6-a11y.pdf

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is the CEQA Lead Agency for the
Project. The Project is located on State Route 39 from post mile 40.0 to post mile 44.4 in Los
Angeles County. The Project would restore and reopen a segment of State Route 39 as an
evacuation route and for use by Caltrans, U.S. Forest Service, and emergency-response
personnel. The project includes roadway rehabilitation, roadway delineation, clearing of debris
and rocks, drainage system restoration, new retaining walls, repair of existing soldier pile walls,
and repair of masonry retaining walls.

[...]

Digging deeper into the linked EIR (https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/district-7/documents/env-docs/sr-39-reopening-final-eir-ea-fonsi-january-2025_a11y.pdf), they considered four alternatives:

Alternative 1 – No-Build Alternative: The "No-Build Alternative" proposes to maintain the
existing conditions of the roadway without any improvements. The current safety
concerns would not be addressed.

Alternative 2 – Evacuation Route (Minimum Build): This alternative proposes limited
roadway restoration. Access to the roadway would be strictly for emergency service
responders and maintenance access. The roadway would continue to be closed to
public highway traffic.

Alternative 3 – Active Transportation Access (Shuttle and Bicycle Path Facilities): This
alternative proposes to restrict access to the roadway to recreational related activities
(e.g., enjoying vista views, hiking, biking, picnicking, camping, fishing, etc.) and allow
only an onsite shuttle service to operate and ferry national forest visitors through the
restricted roadway. The road would remain closed to public vehicles. This alternative
also proposes two sustainable public parking areas (at PMs 40.0 and 44.4) to be
constructed for visitors to park their vehicles and bicycles. The main structural features
include three viaduct structures, a rock-shed, five soldier pile retaining walls, six rock
catchment walls, and repairs to several retaining walls that are in poor condition.

Alternative 4 – Full Opening: This alternative proposes to rehabilitate and reopen the
closed segment of SR-39 to public traffic and provide unrestricted access and a
through-traffic connection between Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway) and SR-2 (Angeles
Crest Highway). A roundabout feature is also proposed at the SR-2/SR-39 junction. No
parking lots are proposed under this alternative. The main structural features include
five viaduct structures, a rock-shed, five soldier pile retaining walls, four rock catchment
walls, and repairs to several retaining walls that are in poor condition.

It notes that "The restored connection would be accessible throughout the year, with seasonal
closures during times of inclement weather. These closures would likely occur during
the winter and early-spring seasons."

It looks like they went with Alternative 2. Why?

Alternative 2 was selected by the Caltrans Project Development Team (PDT) for the
following reasons:

Stakeholder Feedback: During the 60-day circulation period of the Draft Environmental
Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (EIR/EA) Caltrans received 100 comment
letters, many of which stated their preference to keep the roadway closed to public
access or maintain the road for emergency services. Twenty-six (26) commenters
stated their preference for Alternative 2. Project stakeholders such as the City of Azusa,
Nature for All, and the Sierra Club all stated their preference for the Evacuation Route
(Minimal Build) option. The USFS has stated that they have no preference or position
on which alternative is selected; however, they support the project and all of its build
alternatives. Alternative 2 would be the least impactful to the environment and would
provide better and safer access for first responders and for use as an evacuation route
during natural disasters or other emergencies that require immediate evacuation off of
the mountain.

Safety: The proposed roadway restoration under the Preferred Alternative is specifically
designed to enhance safety for the first responders and maintenance crews who
routinely clear obstructions along the route. Currently, geological instability and slope
degradation contribute to hazards such as flooding, landslides, erosion, and rockfall,
endangering personnel and rendering the roadway unreliable as an emergency
evacuation route. Alternative 2 proposes a host of improvements that include rock
scaling to address slope instability, installing and replacing retaining walls where the
slope has failed, and installing MGS to provide additional roadway safety. By
addressing these challenges, the proposed project will improve safety conditions to a
level that would provide a secure and functional roadway for its users, as well as
decrease response times for first responders during emergencies that occur in the area.
Cost: Alternative 2 represents the most cost-effective option, with a total capital cost of
$46 million. Its streamlined design achieves significantly lower costs compared to
Alternatives 3 and 4 while fully maintaining safety standards. Additionally, the proposed
road restorations will bring the facilities up to sufficient standards, reducing the
frequency and extent of required maintenance. As a result, long-term maintenance
costs are expected to decrease, providing ongoing financial and operational benefits.

Purpose and Need: Alternative 2 meets a portion of the project's purpose and need by
enhancing safety and access for emergency first-responders, including the USFS and
the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and Caltrans maintenance crews. By
focusing on critical rehabilitation measures such as stabilizing slopes, improving
drainage, and mitigating rockfall hazards, this alternative addresses many of the
underlying safety concerns that jeopardize personnel working along the closed section
of SR-39. Although the segment from PM 40.0 to PM 44.4 would remain closed to the
public, the preferred alternative significantly improves emergency response capabilities
and reduces risk for those who routinely access the roadway. Although it does not fulfill
every aspect of the project's broader purpose and need, it still achieves the primary
goals of preserving roadway integrity, providing critical access during emergencies, and
enhancing overall safety conditions.

Environment: Alternative 2 is the least environmentally invasive option due to its
minimal design, which helps preserve the surrounding environment and significantly
reduces impacts to the fully protected Nelson's Bighorn Sheep. The total acreage of
impacted lands under the Preferred Alternative is substantially smaller compared to
Alternatives 3 and 4, minimizing the effects on plants, animals, and other natural
resources within the project area. Although road improvements will be made, the
roadway will remain officially closed to the public, ensuring that traffic volume does not
increase. This will further benefit wildlife, particularly species that rely on safe road
crossings.