Street Smarts

Expect some delays if you’re heading south on Highway 1 near Watsonville.

A Toyota 4 Runner traveling south on Highway 1 near Highway 129 overturned on the Salinas Bridge. Traffic is backed up for at least a half mile while CHP works to clear the 4 Runner from the highway. The accident happened about 2:10 p.m.

A mama duck and seven baby ducklings nearly caused cars to rear end each other about 5:30 p.m. today when the ducks slowly waddled across Soquel Drive. Did anyone grab a photo of this?

A small red Toyota truck collided with a dump truck pulling a steam roller while traveling northbound on Highway 1 near Buena Vista Drive. Both vehicles are sitting on the shoulder of the road while the California Highway Patrol gets the mess straightened out. The accident happened about 11:30 a.m. No injuries were reported.

Caltrans put out a bulletin today with the latest from the Highway 1/!7 merge lanes project.

The southbound Fairmount onramp will be closed 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting this Friday through Wednesday. The closure will begin at 6 a.m. Friday. The closure allows a new barrier to be installed.

All lanes of Highway 1 between Morrissey Boulevard and Ocean Street will be closed from midnight on May 12 to 5 a.m. May 13. The closure allows for the removal of falsework, which is the framework built to support the overcrossing while under construction.  Now that the structure is self-supporting, the falsework can be removed. Noise from trucks backing up and bright lights can be expected.

An accident on southbound Highway 1 near Buena Vista Drive has blocked traffic as the California Highway Patrol work to clear the vehicles off the road. One lane has been temporarily closed. Officers say no injuries were involved. The accident happened about 2:35 p.m.

A safety/drainage improvement project on Highway 17 near Glenwood Drive south of the Trinity Mission area to Woodwardia begins tomorrow, Caltrans officials announced today.

All traffic will be shifted into the southbound lanes with one lane in each direction open at all times. Northbound work hours are overnight from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday beginning at 10 p.m.

Southbound work hours are from 8 p.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday beginning at 10 p.m. Expect up to 10 minute delays. No work will take place on weekends.

The project stretches for 1.2 miles and consists of work primarily on the southbound side with the following improvements:

· construction of four retaining walls

· construction of 8-foot shoulders

· better drainage improvements

· median installation and realignment to maximize the potential of the lane width.

· Repavement with open-grade asphalt, which allows better drainage of pavement in inclement weather to help prevent hydroplaning.

The contractor for this $8.2 million project is Pavex Construction Division of San Jose. Work is expected to be complete in the summer of 2009.

A car was hit by a Winnebago at the intersection of Soquel Drive and Sunset Way in Santa Cruz. The accident happened just before 6 p.m. There were no injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Emeline Avenue continues to have intermittent one-way traffic controls where it passes under Highway 1 from Fernside Street to Lee Street. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday through the end of June for bridge and road work.
The northbound Highway 17 Pasatiempo offramp will stay closed until June.
The Branciforte overcrossing, which closed Jan. 2, will remain closed until the end of June.
The work is all part of the Highway 1/17 Merge Lanes Project, which will widen the county’s two major thoroughfares from four lanes to six from the Pasatiempo overcrossing on Highway 17 to Morrissey Boulevard on Highway 1.
The project is about 80 percent complete with full completion scheduled for spring of 2009.

For more details visit the Caltrans Web site.

You’ve probably heard there’s a proposal on the presidential campaign trail to give consumers a break by lopping off the 18-cent federal gas tax for the summer. Some drivers are cheering the idea of cheaper fuel prices during a time of year they typically put more miles on the odometer. However, the Regional Transportation Commission of Santa Cruz County is against the tax hiatus, and is writing a letter to federal leaders to voice opposition. What do you think? Do you welcome the gas tax break? Or do you think it’s not enough to make a dent.

I had the opportunity today to talk to a 26-year-old man from Seattle who is biking around the country with his dog, Chiva. The two are attempting to climb the highest peak in every state, as well as raise money to prevent animal abuse and protect the environment. His story is inspirational for anyone looking to break out of their rut and give to charity at the same time. You can check out David Sylvester’s blog or watch my interview with him.