Bono Mack To Keep Close Eye On CalTrans
Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, said today that she will keep an eye on Caltrans’ plans to avoid large traffic delays on Interstate 10, and released a letter from the district director.
A massive jam backed up the westbound portion of the freeway between Palm Springs and Banning on Feb. 12. Caltrans drew criticism after traffic backed up when pavement repair was delayed, closing some westbound lanes until 9:30 p.m. Caltrans issued an apology the next day.
Bono Mack posted a letter today on her website from Caltrans District 8 Director Raymond Wolfe.
“The events that unfolded this past weekend were unacceptable and avoidable if appropriate decisions had been made in the field,” Wolfe wrote in the letter to Bono Mack, dated Feb. 16. “This is the real tragedy and I commit to you and the public that we will institute all the necessary organizational and policy changes to ensure this will not be repeated.”
Wolfe said Caltrans has been working with other government agencies and listed ideas for alternate routes.
“To its credit, Caltrans has admitted its mistakes and is working diligently on a plan to prevent similar traffic meltdowns in the future. That’s a good first step,” Bono Mack said in a statement today. “But at the end of the day, the plan will only work if there’s a 100 percent commitment to follow through on it. I look forward to thoroughly reviewing the plan when finished and will seek input on it from Secretary LaHood and his team at the U.S. Department of Transportation.”
On the day of the jam, lanes had been scheduled to be closed for pavement repair from 10 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. However, according to Caltrans, a problem at a concrete plant resulted “in the continued closure of lanes outside the work schedule.”
“The concrete being utilized to make the repairs requires four to five hours to cure before traffic can be permitted to drive on it. A breakdown at the nearby batch plant contributed to delays in completing project and reopening lanes before the work schedule ended at 7 a.m.,” a Caltrans statement said.
“Unfortunately, the various slabs targeted for replacement had been removed and prepared for the material before the break down at the batch plant occurred.”
Motorists “expressed concern” when they did not see activity in the construction zone, according to Caltrans.
“The crews were awaiting the delivery of the material to finish the work and then for the new pavement to set,” the statement said.
Caltrans’ Feb. 13 statement said that the department is “investigating the events that led up to the incident and again extends our sincerest apologies to all who were involved, especially the motorists who were forced to endure the lengthy backup.”
