You are correct it was a mess Saturday for NB traffic. The added Big Sur area visitor traffic due to Spring Break created more afternoon traffic volume that the controller at Rio Road can handle. I am meeting with Caltrans and the county to determine means to reduce the weekend afternoon traffic issues.
We are underway this week to modify Rio Road shopping center side so we can dedicate more signal time to weekend Northbound Highway 1.
We are also working with TAMC to determine if we can reroute Carmel Traffic away from the intersection. Lastly we attempted to flag the intersection to provide relief to northbound traffic but the flaggers pulled off the work as it was unsafe due to uncooperative drivers.
By the way this project was designed by a private firm on behalf of TAMC and the County of Monterey and Caltrans. It is also being constructed by private construction company. This is a congested area with no or few alternative routes, many past proposals to resolve highway congestion in the Carmel area have been met with resistance from the area communities. The existing pavement has aged to the point most of it has to be completely replaced adding to the size of the project and increased the impact to traffic.
In reference to your comment about a 24/7 work schedule the County of Monterey has a noise ordinance that precludes working at night with the exception of specific work.
Thank you for your comments, we will continue to work towards solutions to minimize delays.
| Dan Miller | ||
| Construction Manager |
