CalTrans’ dangerous, ugly drainage ditches on 180 turn me off
Going east on Highway 180, the right turn onto South Newmark Avenue was safe with a natural water runoff.
Enter Caltrans to convert 180 to a four-lane expressway. It rebuilt bridges; raised and lowered roads; dug drainage ditches on both sides, which now flood the neighbors’ drive during heavy rains; placed lightweight reflector posts where 180 and Newmark intersect; and ended up leaving a triangular space between the bridge fence, drainage ditch and reflector posts with no right-turn pocket, arrow or street sign!
Friends missed the turn, turned too soon or had to back up to go around the posts. Everyone said, “That’s a dangerous, confusing turn!”
I called Caltrans; The first person placed cones along 180. Cones were stolen. I called again. Caltrans placed posts with reflectors at 23-foot intervals. Continued calling, two and three people at a time came out, discussed, agreed with me and did nothing. It’s been 18 months since my first call. Nothing else has been done.
I’m disgusted, disappointed and angry that we are stuck with this dangerous, inconvenient turn-off with its ugly, weed-infested, incompetent drainage ditches.
The engineer who designed and signed off on this project should be fired. Tax dollars were wasted here.
L.F. Magnone, Sanger
This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 12:04 PM with the headline "CalTrans’ dangerous, ugly drainage ditches on 180 turn me off."