Costly fix to interchanges at 85, 237, El Camino on hold

QAre there plans to update the Highway 85 interchanges at El Camino Real and Highway 237? This area can come to a complete stop as 85 drivers merge right to get onto

237, while within 100 feet or so El Camino drivers merge onto 85.

I would think this would be hugely expensive; there may be no easy fix. They’d have to do something like they did for 17-85; put in a tunnel before the bridge to divert around that interchange.

This would probably put the price tag in the $50 million-$100 million range. — Mark Dawson, Campbell

AThat might be about right. Rebuilding these interchanges is on the list of projects to be funded by the Measure B sales tax approved in 2016. However that tax is tied up in court and a decision on its validity may not come until the end of the year.

QIs there any plan to upgrade the connection from Highway 237 to Highway 101? It is narrow with poor visibility. — Vladimir Ivan, Mountain View

ANo major upgrade is planned. The VTA looked at changes, but said there were too many expensive challenges related to the Moffett Field flight path.

QHelp me win a bet. With all this talk about allowing traffic to drive on freeway shoulders, my friend claims that one time cars were allowed to drive on the shoulders on 237. I say he must have been smoking some funny stuff. We have a pizza riding on this. — Bill Ramirez, Santa Clara

AYou lose. When 237 was a four-lane city street with traffic lights, drivers were permitted to use the shoulder during commute times. That ended when the traffic lights were removed and 237 was converted into a six-lane freeway in the early 1990s.

QI was troubled to read about a driver in a new Honda zipping down Interstate 880 with her headlights off. My not-at-all-new 2005 Corolla has a little electric “eye” that looks out of the windshield and turns the lights on automatically in low light if the driver does not. I’m amazed all modern cars don’t have this safety feature. — Lisa Hatt, Sunnyvale

AMe, too. More auto companies should offer this feature.

QOne of my colleagues mused: “Before the time change, the meter from Interstate 280 to 85 was always on when I was driving to work. Last week it wasn’t on, even though I’m driving at the same time. Do the meters not understand daylight saving time?” — Kevin Vermilion, San Jose

AThe ramp meter controller changes the time automatically. Most likely there were other issues, like loss of power. Caltrans will take care of it.