Caltrans street ‘fix’ still doesn’t work for us
I’m assuming that in response to my letter in The Bee a few weeks ago regarding the dangerous turn-off of Highway 180 to South Newmark Avenue, Caltrans came out to fix its mistake. This week, workers put in more reflectors, painted a solid black line along them and a dotted line across Newmark. It took two trucks and three workers to do this. Still there is no turn pocket, arrow, street sign, or fixing of my neighbor’s poorly engineered drainage ditch that doesn’t work in heavy rain.
Originally, we watched them raise 180, and then lower Newmark, which stopped the natural rain run-off we had. This was followed by building a bridge, only to realize it needed to be 42 feet wider and extended. They inefficiently tried to take an easement from one neighbor before deciding it needed to come from my property, and finally I had to show proof of them promising me a gate before they would finish what they promised on my property.
Caltrans continues to waste taxpayer dollars, and we continue to have a poorly engineered turn-off. It is amazing that such incompetent engineering and planning continues to be rewarded. The people responsible should be fired.
L.F. Magnone, Sanger
This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Caltrans street ‘fix’ still doesn’t work for us."