MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Changes are under way for south Lake County roadways.
On Monday, Caltrans converted the intersection of Highway 29 and Hartmann Road to a three-way stop in an effort to reduce the high number of collisions seen there in recent years.
While some area residents have advocated for a stoplight rather than stop signs, Ralph Martinelli, chief of the traffic safety office for Caltrans' District 1, told Lake County News on Monday that Caltrans believe stop signs are the most effective tool for reducing collisions at the intersection.
He said the intersection's design – which includes a large curve – isn't ideal for a stoplight, which wouldn't necessarily reduce the kinds of broadside collisions that have occurred there.
The goal also is to make drivers slow down, he said, which the stop signs do. In some cases, lights can lead to drivers speeding up as they attempt to anticipate light changes.
The intersection changes also include flashing beacons and signage to draw drivers' attention to the new stops, Martinelli said.
When such changes are implemented, Martinelli said it usually takes a few weeks for the community to become adapted to the changes. He said Caltrans will have portable, changeable message boards in the area to help remind drivers of the new signage.
Readers posting on Lake County News' Facebook page Monday afternoon reported delays as the intersection was converted to the three-way stop.
The California Highway Patrol reported a noninjury collision took place at the intersection at about 9:20 p.m. Monday.
Also on Monday, Caltrans said a paving project on various sections of Highway 29 and Highway 175 in Lake and Mendocino counties is on schedule.
The agency said final striping and other minor work on Highway 29 from Spruce Grove Road to
the Lake-Napa County line will be completed on Friday, Oct. 28.
Work on Highway 175 is now taking place between Middletown and Kelseyville. The next phase will take place on Highway 175 between Hopland and Lakeport, Caltrans said.
The Highway 175 paving – which will be completed by next summer – is using rubberized asphalt concrete, which Caltrans said contains rubber from ground up tires, making it more flexible for a longer
life. The rubberized asphalt also is good for the environment, diverting approximately 120,000 tires from landfills.
Caltrans said the paving work is taking place from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. One-way traffic control will be in effect, and motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
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