CalTrans Admits Mistakes Made In Massive Backup

Caltrans says it made a series of mistakes in connection with a freeway shutdown in Riverside County last month that backed up traffic for 25 miles and stranded drivers for hours.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise (http://bit.ly/wJ4fEJ ) says officials acknowledged that numerous errors were made before and during the traffic jam on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs.

Overnight work on a pothole repair project bogged down on Feb. 12, and three freeway lanes remained closed all day. Thousands of cars needed hours to crawl through San Gorgonio Pass.

At a hearing Thursday, state lawmakers and officials from California Department of Transportation and the Highway Patrol said the backup was potentially life-threatening.

Authorities say traffic in the region has boomed and road construction hasn’t kept pace, although bypass projects are in the works.