CALTRANS GETS $35 MILLION FOR BIKE LANES AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON PCH

The Caltrans district in Orange County is expected to begin work on transportation upgrades starting next year on projects that span over 20 miles of scenic PCH. Caltrans director Steven Keck called the money a “critical investment” aimed at helping the agency “continue repairing, maintaining and upgrading our state’s aging transportation infrastructure for improved safety and sustainability.”

BIKE LANES PROJECT

Along a roughly 15-mile stretch of the PCH between Dover Drive in Newport Beach and north of Seal Beach Boulevard, Caltrans will create “a continuous accessible route for the bicyclist and add a comprehensive Class II bike lane in both directions,” officials said.

The location for the enhancements was selected based off traffic safety investigations that began in 2018, which identified 10 spots along the PCH where there were more bicycle crashes, injuries and deaths than average, according to Caltrans. The project, for which the California Transportation Commission allocated $2.1 million, will also include repainting some roadway markers and installing sensors that recognize bikers at intersections.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL PROJECT

The traffic signal project will replace lights at 19 intersections on the PCH between Crystal Heights Drive in Newport Beach and 1st Street in Seal Beach. At the same time, crews will do pavement rehab along both the northbound and southbound lanes from Warner Avenue in Huntington Beach to the Orange County-Los Angeles line, smoothing out the road and filling in potholes. The work will also include fixing curb ramps to ADA requirements, adding a bike lane in both directions and installing high visibility cross walks.