In recent times we have seen bridge and freeway construction near us here in Seal Beach, which includes the Seventh Street Bridge and the Valley View Bridge. More construction is coming in the near future that impacts us and surrounding communities. That of course means more jackhammers and noise, but it also means that there is an even longer time frame involved from the beginning to end of all the Cal Trans projects.
As you read this, the West Coast Connectors meeting for Seal Beach and surrounding communities has already happened at the Rush Auditorium in Rossmoor (June 7).
Hopefully that has satisfied details in the plan. People who didn’t go to the meeting can peruse the plan online at the West Coast Connectors website at OCTA.NET and comments to the plan are accepted until July 2 on the website itself or for those who prefer mailing a letter instead, please send it to: Orange County Transportation Authority (West Coast Connectors Project), P.O. Box 14184 Orange, CA 92863-1584 or call Christina Byrne at (714) 560-5717 for any further questions you may have.
The West Coast Connectors website includes specific information for the Seal Beach Bridge work: Seal Beach Bridge Construction Start – Mid to Late 2012 Bridge two lanes with “Emergency Services” median (10 months); Ongoing coordination with LAUSD Final Configuration – four lanes northbound, three lanes southbound; Future Long Term Closures: Mid 2012 SB I-605/SB I 405 (2 weeks) mid to Late 2012.
There are also three different plans for expansion of the 405 Freeway near us to be considered. Each plan adds a lane or so, but the big difference in one of those plans is a proposal for a toll lane, which could be a problem for some people, so that is why public comment is so aptly needed.
What does this mean to us drivers? It means a lot of patience and it means commenting to the OCTA directly so that they can determine what people want and that it gets done right. I am the first to say that I can be impatient when it comes to any construction, but what I have learned with the construction of the recent bridges is that if I am not careful, it could cost me my life.
A good example of this is the confused 22-year-old construction worker who was driving at the beginning of the northbound 605 Freeway and unfortunately took the wrong turn before the exit at Katella Avenue. He was only driving at 50 mph, but he ended up veering off the road and right into a tree (the accident was unfortunately fatal).
There are a lot of roadblocks and detour signs that are present now and more are to come. If the past and present indicates anything, we can’t afford to rush through traffic anymore. The “Be Patient, Be Kind” philosophy needs to be practiced by everyone but unfortunately when detours are everywhere, patience wears on everyone’s nerves. My pet peeve are the drivers who say, “Who cares?” when it comes to road construction blocks and detour mazes to our homes. They are the likely ones who get through traffic, yes, but will cause an accident to those who just safely mill through that same traffic. We also have well-lit self-standing signs telling us a week or two in advance the day(s) these closures will be happening, so that’s helpful.
We are actually lucky here in the OC so far—we have signs everywhere indicating what is closed, and detour signs are pretty good for the most part. I have a good example of poor driver notice. There was tons of traffic due to a lack of block signs on the roads in L.A. County this past week as my husband and I were driving through it.
We encountered a complete freeway stop and there was no indication of why—just a slew of car and truck lights in front of us.
I even checked the Sig Alert on my phone, to no avail.
If we didn’t know the alternate route on that part of the 101 Freeway (by the Citadel area), we would have been stuck there for hours. At least here in Orange County we have notices from Cal Trans with signs or freeway updates on the digitally lit signs. I really think that is because people over here seem more proactive when it comes to Cal Trans.
They want them to know if something is amiss.
The only thing left in question now is if people will heed the hazards of the road, or will they be involved in tragedy like the young man who got confused on the 605 Freeway?
We have to remember that everything will look different once the construction begins, so we have to acclimate by driving a bit slower so we don’t make an accident happen.
May God bless everyone during this complex road construction and I wish safety to all.
Enea Ostrich is a longtime resident of College Park East.
