There’s always another ramp
There’s always another ramp
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Posted by editor Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:25:53 PDT
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The State Route 58 lane and ramp closures should be less confusing to
motorists after Tuesday (Aug. 26), according to the construction company
doing the work.
“Today’s [Tuesday] kind of a tough day because we have so many contractors
working,” said William Duford, paving superintendent for Granite Construction Company, of Watsonville, the primary contractor.
On Wednesday, he said, in the late morning and early afternoon, lane stripers will force the alternate closures of the eastbound ramps at State Route 202 (Tucker Road) and Mill Street.
“That’s pretty much going to be it,” he said.
Duford said that the changeable electronic signs tell motorists what is
closed, not what is open.
“Caltrans does not like us to put too much information on the boards,” he
said.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assures motorists who
are confused by ramp closures on State Route 58 this week that contractors
are instructed not to close consecutive ramps.
“We don’t allow contractors to close two consecutive ramps in a row,” said
Jose Camarena, public information officer for Caltrans district 6 in Fresno. “They [motorists] need to know that the next one will be open.”
Duford explained that if the eastbound off-ramp at State Route 202 is closed, for example, “We have to leave the off-ramp at Mill Street open. If we close the off-ramp at 202, the only thing we can close at Mill is the on-ramp.”
Alternating closures may not follow a strict schedule.
“The nature of the work is dynamic,” Camarena said. The contractors will be working on the Tehachapi segment of State Route 58 for a week, he said, “working on all the ramps.”
Camarena said the signage is the responsibility of the contractor.
Dennis Wesley, branch manager of the Bakersfield office of Granite Construction, said, “They are moving from ramp to ramp. We can only close one ramp at a time.”
Wesley agreed that the rolling closures are challenging to motorists.
“I’ll talk to my people about the signage so it will be a little less confusing,” he told the Tehachapi News.
An Aug. 21 Caltrans Commuter Alert said the pavement rehabilitation project on State Route 58 will continue through Aug. 29 through the Tehachapi stretch of highway.
The alert read:
“The eastbound State Route 202 on/off ramp may be intermittently closed for up to four hours a day during construction the week of Aug. 25 through Aug. 29. In addition to the ramp closure, motorists should anticipate lane closures on SR-58 in the Tehachapi area throughout the week. Work hours are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This $8.5 million project will rehabilitate a 30-mile segment of SR-58
about two miles east of State route 223 to the Cache Creek Bridge.
Granite Construction Company was awarded the project that began in early
June and is expected to be complete late September 2008. During construction, motorists will be altered to lane/ramp closures via construction signage and electronic message boards along SR-58 and near freeway interchanges within Tehachapi.
Caltrans thanks the motoring public for their patience as we work to
rehabilitate this segment of SR-58. Motorists are reminded to allow
additional travel time and drive with extra care through construction
areas.”
Four ramp interchanges provide access to the Tehachapi area from State Route
58 -- State Highway 202 (Tucker Road, exit 148), Mill Street/Capitol Hills
Parkway (exit 149), Monolith/Tehachapi Summit (gives entry to Tehachapi
boulevard, exit 151) and Sand Canyon (exit 156). There are several more
State Route 58 interchanges on the west side.
Daily closure Information from Caltrans will be posted on this web site as it becomes available.
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