Project begins to improve dangerous I-10 stretch

Around 3 pm Thursday afternoon, a rollover crash near desert center sent three children to the hospital with minor injuries.

Read: 3 children taken to hospital after minivan rollover crash on I-10

This happened on the same day that Caltrans officials began a plan to reduce traffic collisions along a dangerous stretch of Interstate 10

“We just want more people to be aware of their surroundings, reduce their speed, there’s a problem with speeding out there, we want people to be well rested when they drive through the area,” said Terri Kasinga, chief public information officer for Caltrans District 8.

The pavement rehabilitation project focuses on focuses on 128 miles of the I-10 between State Route 86 and 177, a move CHP officers say will benefit drivers.

“Almost every single one of the crashes that have happened in that area has been preventable. It’s because people are driving too fast, they’re making unsafe lane changes, if everyone paid 100 % attention to their driving these accidents wouldn’t be happening,” said

The plan will include pavement repair and the addition of rumble strips to remind drivers if they’re drifting off the road

“I hope this works, it should, guard rails will keep them out of the desert anyways. That’s usually where it happens, they get lost in the sand, people lose control and rollover and that’s when they get hurt,” said truck driver Jeff Degraaff.

The project will effect both west and eastbound eye ten in the area and is expected to be completed in 2018