some CA updates and comments

Hello all - Been awhile since I posted here. Since I got married last
November, for some reason I've not been able to read and post all that
much. I've also had some problems posting via Outlook Express (and I
still don't know how to fix it). And I'm also going for my
master's...you get the picture.

As far as my career as concerned - some of you know that I have not
been in charge of the exit numbering program for Caltrans for several
months now. There is a new coordinator. I'm working for Caltrans
District 3 in a design unit working on small safety/operational
improvement projects (signals, interchange modifications, etc).

I did want to comment (albeit late in the game) on an issue that has
again been a recent topic of discussion.

I have not been on the new Central Freeway/Octavia Blvd project since
it opened. I know there are still some questions about the routing of
Hwy 101 through San Francisco. I had to deal with this extensively when
I was working in the exit numbering program and I discussed it with
Caltrans District 4.

The Central Freeway is officially still part of Route 101. That has not
changed, even with the modifications after the Loma Prieta quake. As
you know, prior to the quake, the Central Freeway ended at Golden Gate
and Turk. Turk and Golden Gate were part of Route 101 between the
Central Freeway and Van Ness Avenue. After the Central Freeway was
lopped off at Fell Street, Golden Gate and Turk were decommissioned as
state highways and a break in the official routing was created on Route
101 at Fell Street, with the route resuming at Van Ness and Golden
Gate. Van Ness Avenue south of Golden Gate Avenue (and Mission Street
for that matter) have never been officially adopted as state highway. I
do not know what the plans are for the routing of Route 101 now that
the Octavia project has been completed.

After the Central Freeway was lopped off at Fell Street, signage for
Route 101 was extended on Van Ness south of Golden Gate and on Mission
Street but this was probably for motorists' benefit. Again, note that
these streets were not adopted as part of Route 101. While the Central
Freeway's future was being debated, the City of San Francisco requested
that Caltrans direct traffic bound for NB 101 a different way. Those
coming from the Bay Bridge were directed to exit at 5th Street (and
then continue down Harrison to 7th), and NB 101 traffic was directed to
continue to 7th Street via I-80. From there, to get to 101 motorists
were directed to use 7th to McAllister to Leavenworth to Turk to Van
Ness. These streets were never adopted as part of Route 101.
The purpose was to get motorists to bypass the confusing mess at the
Market/ Van Ness/Mission intersections.

The state did leave a sign for 101 North at the turnoff to the Central
Freeway from WB I-80, again most likely for motorists's benefit, since
there are two onramps to WB I-80 downstream of the 5th Street exit.
And if you were coming from the Bay Bridge and you somehow missed the
exit to 5th Street, you could still get to 101 North via the Central
Freeway. And although the signage for the Central Freeway from the
south indicated that it was for Mission and Fell Streets, signage for
101 North was also left on that connector to the Central Freeway (where
the offramp for 9th Street splits off). Once on the Central Freeway
itself, 101 North traffic was directed to exit at Mission. So if you
were coming from the south and didn't see the signs directing you to
7th Street, you were okay too.

Now, with the completion of Octavia Blvd, it appears that traffic from
the south and from the east are once again directed to use the Central
Freeway to continue on NB 101, rather than use the 7th or 5th Street
exits. We've seen the picture on the Webshots site:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/369995700/369995700GnQOMy

And if you look at these photos from Caltrans District 4 related to the
reconstruction of the Bay Bridge west approach, you can make out
signage for 101 north further downstream (along with exit numbering):
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/photography/images/050914/photos/photo_10.html
The exit number listing for WB I-80 will have to be corrected to show
that Exit 1B is now for US-101 North. It currently does not show this.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/signtech/calnexus/reports/eightywest.htm

In my discussions with District 4 with regards to the exit numbering
for the Central Freeway, I asked about the planned alignment for Route
101. They had no answer for that, so the plan was to continue to sign
the Mission Street exit as the exit to continue north on 101, with the
mainline touchdown to Octavia Street being treated as an exit. It
looks like 101 is exiting itself. You can see this on the freeway exit
numbering website for NB Route 101 at Exits 434A and 434B:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/signtech/calnexus/reports/oneoonenorth.htm

So as far as I know everything is still up in the air. Although the
signage may show route continuity via Mission and Van Ness, officially,
there is a gap in Route 101 from where the freeway ended at Fell Street
to the intersection of Van Ness and Golden Gate Avenues. The southern
end of this gap might be moved to the new end of the freeway at Market
Street.

As an aside, I can tell you that the Webshots site I referred to
earlier has a lot of photos for California that have been retouched.
There are exit numbers shown on a lot of signs which definitely aren't
there, and if they were they would be in the sign panel itself, since
that's how we've been doing our numbering. Furthermore, the tabs don't
meet MUTCD standards for placement (they are atop the middle of the
panel rather than on the right side for a right hand exit).

One other note - Caltrans has changed their sign truss designs in order
to meet new wind load standards developed by AASHTO. For those who may
not know, Caltrans places its exit numbers in the sign panel rather
than on top of the truss because the sign trusses that have been in use
have not met these wind loading requirements. A few months ago, a
directive was issued regarding the use of the new sign trusses, and it
is specifically noted that the new designs can accomodate exit number
tabs. Furthermore, the directive requires that if plans call for an
old sign panel to be replaced, the first option should be to use a new
truss, but if that is not possible, then the new sign panel cannot
exceed the area of the old panel by a certain amount (I think it was 20
square meters). As you know, typically we have been installing exit
numbers on existing overhead trusses by installing a new sign panel,
and the new panel is usually larger than the old one. However, because
of this new restriction, you may wind up seeing one of the following:

1. Really tiny exit numbers on a new panel on an old sign truss.
2. An entirely new truss with possibly an exit number tab.

That's all for now.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: some CA updates and comments
    ... >> In my discussions with District 4 with regards to the exit numbering ... under the general principle that a route number can't exit itself ... If the Central Freeway does not have its own route ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Re: some CA updates and comments
    ... > have been installing exit numbers on existing overhead trusses by ... > installing a new sign panel, and the new panel is usually larger than ... Really tiny exit numbers on a new panel on an old sign truss. ... Central Freeway and the 80 Skyway EB, ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Re: NY - Commuting disruptions likely as Northway Exit 6 is rebuilt
    ... Commuting disruptions likely as Northway Exit 6 is rebuilt ... rebuild the Northway Exit 6 interchange with Route 7. ... More than 44,000 vehicles cross over Interstate 87 on the Route 7 bridge ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Trip reports: KY-OH-WV and KY-TN (Knoxville meet)
    ... On Friday I did some exploring in Ohio ... Friday's route: ... two lanes on to the Ravenswood bridge and the West Virginia border. ... WV 68 exits on US 50/Corridor D. Not sure if this is going to be an exit or just ...
    (misc.transport.road)
  • Road trip: WV, MD, PA, NJ, DE, VA, NC
    ... My route from Charleston, WV: I-79 to Morgantown, I-68 for its ... small berms with trees right next to ... an over pass to rework an exit to the I standard. ... south of the beltway of three lane in each direction and a three lane ...
    (misc.transport.road)