Highway 25 may become an option to traffic-clogged 152
QI read an article in which you proposed spending infrastructure money on “building an alternative to Highway 152 east of Gilroy.”
This dangerous stretch, the primary route for folks commuting into the South Bay from the Central Valley and for South Bay drivers heading to Southern California, is in urgent need of a fix.
I wonder, though, why you suggest building a new roadway rather than upgrading the current stretch to four lanes?
— Dan Mitchell,
San Jose
AThree reasons. First, the soil under 152 is mushy and it would be hard to add more pavement there. Second, there are a lot of left turns onto Highway 152 from side roads which would need major reconfiguration. The last is that plans are slowly moving ahead to convert Highway 25 into a six-lane expressway that would eventually connect with 152. As for 152, while a new road, which could be a toll road, might be built south of the current 152, that is many years away.
QI read with great interest your column regarding advanced technology in cars being used to prevent drunken driving deaths.
I’ve been thinking that putting a speeding control in a car’s software could also prevent drivers from doing 100 mph on freeways or over the posted speed limits on city roads. It doesn’t bother me at all if this takes away an individual’s driving autonomy when it could do so much to help the greater good. — Shirley Daffin,
Sacramento
AWith the terrible speeding we see, partially the result of some drivers treating wide open roads during pandemic shutdown times as a private raceway, I think your idea has some merit.
I don’t think it will happen, but it’s food for thought.
QAfter living in the Bay Area for over 50 years, I retired and moved to El Dorado Hills.
We have wonderful friends and family still in the Bay Area, so we travel frequently back to see them. Are there any plans to improve the westbound merge of Interstate 80 and Highway 50? No matter what time of day or night, there is a significant backup, leading to delays. — Cary Lowe, El Dorado Hills
A
There is hope ahead.
Work on a $650 million project to add carpool lanes, metering lights and Intelligent Transportation System elements along I-80 and Route 50 through eastern Solano County, Yolo County and Sacramento County could be completed in five years.
Q
I recently returned igan.from a trip to Mich
My rental car had Florida plates and so did every car that Hertz had to rent. — Jim Costella
A
That may explain why we’re seeing so many cars in California with Florida plates, per another reader’s comments in a recent column.