PIP Map

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

PIP lane closures for May 2 - May 7

As construction continues on the Prunedale Improvement Project there will be more lane closures on Highway 101 from Monday, May 2, through Saturday, May 7.

During this week the closures will be between San Miguel Canyon Road and Tustin Road; the closure is to install new concrete barriers.

The work will close one Northbound lane and one Southbound lane between the hours of 8:15 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

If you have any questions, please email me.

I will be out of the office on Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29, but will be back on Monday, May 2.

Thank you; please remember to drive safely – especially through these construction zones.

Sharon

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Nighttime lane closures scheduled for next week

Well, preliminary roadwork on the 13-mile Prunedale Improvement Project (PIP) has been underway for a few days now, but the pace picks up next week when crews will begin work along Highway 101 that will result in lane closures beginning on April 25.


The work, which will include the placement of concrete Jersey barriers commonly known as K-rail, will close one lane of Hwy 101 in each direction from just south of the Russell/Espinosa intersection to Ralph Lane; and from San Miguel Canyon Road to Tustin Lane. The closures will be at night, between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.


The PIP addresses traffic safety issues along Highway 101, from Espinosa/Russell Roads in Salinas north to Crazy Horse Canyon/Echo Valley Roads. The project includes construction of three new interchanges /overpasses and closing the gaps in the median barrier from Crazy Horse Canyon to Russell/Espinosa. These safety measures will eliminate dangerous left turns, reduce delays on US 101, provide safer access for local business and residents and provide congestion relief for the thousands of vehicles that travel through the corridor every day.


For lane closure information on this project and for traffic updates on other Caltrans projects in Monterey County, residents can call the District 5 toll free number at 1-831-372-0862, Caltrans’ hotline at 1-877-448-6771, or visit Caltrans’ website: www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htm 

If you any other questions about the PIP you can email me anytime!

Please drive safely and remember to Slow for the Cone Zone!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

We're sensitive about protecting the environment

I get phone calls and questions about different aspects of highway construction projects here in Monterey County every day. Some are easy to answer; others require a little more research. Here's a question I received on Monday - it took me a little while to get all the information, but research like this is always interesting and fun.

Q: What’s all that orange netting-like stuff we see now along Hwy 101 near Prunedale?

A: The orange netting is a type of fence that is put up to identify Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) that need to be protected during the construction of the Prunedale Improvement Project (PIP), which begins construction this week. ESAs are defined as “any area in which plant or animal life or their habitats are either rare or especially valuable because of their special nature or role in an ecosystem and which could be easily disturbed or degraded by human activities and developments.” The ESA fencing minimizes effects to the natural environment.

The Prunedale Improvement Project is designed to address safety and operational concerns along the Highway 101 corridor between North Salinas and Echo Valley Road. At the same time, we also need to ensure the safety and continued viability of our state’s rare and valuable species and habitats.  To do this Caltrans and Granite Construction, the contractor for the PIP, use biologists to do pre-construction surveys to identify creeks, and areas where rare and/or sensitive species and habitats are located. Then those areas are marked with the orange fence netting you see, so that those working on the project are aware that these areas are not to be disturbed. These biologists continue to be involved throughout construction, conducting onsite biological monitoring to maintain these environmentally sensitive areas.

The native plant species considered rare, valuable, and sensitive along the construction area include the Coastal Live Oak, Pajaro manzanita, Monterey ceanothus, branching beach aster, and the Monterey spineflower.

Sensitive animal species found in some of the ESAs include the southwestern pond turtle, which is a subspecies of the western pond turtle – the only native turtle in California; Red-legged frog, California tiger salamander, Monterey dusky-footed wood rat, Cooper’s hawk, and yellow warbler.

Caltrans works with a number of regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Game and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards, to preserve California’s natural resources and assets, while providing a safe transportation system for all.

Please feel free to call or email me with your questions and/or concerns. I can be reached at sharon@tamcmonterey.org or 831-775-4415. 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

My first PIP Community Meeting!

Wow! We had a community meeting about the Prunedale Improvement Project last Thursday, April 7, and first and foremost, I want to say thank you to Vee Thomas for organizing this meeting and getting everyone there!


I also want to thank everyone who was there for taking the time to attend. Since I’m a newcomer to the PIP team it is very important for me to meet you and hear your concerns directly, so this was an excellent listening and learning opportunity for me – and I thank you for that.


Recapping what was discussed at last week’s meeting, many of the concerns that were raised focused on how the finished PIP will effect traffic on local roads. Specific concerns include:

  • Extra traffic on Prunedale Road South
  • The right turn from the 101 Southbound onto Blackie Road, which is particularly difficult for buses and trucks
  • Extra traffic on Prunedale Road North and San Miguel Canyon
  • Concerns about when the dividers closing off the left turns will be installed
  • Traffic safety around the schools at San Miguel and Prunedale Road North
  • Changes and improvements along Harrison Road
  • Access issues for the mobile home park near Russell/Espinosa
  • Increased traffic on Crazy Horse Canyon


I want to let you know that we are working with Caltrans to see what can be done about the turn on Blackie Road. The issues with maintenance on the local roads is something we will bring to the County.

Another question that was raised at the meeting was “Why is this project necessary?” And I think this is key for everyone to understand.

The Prunedale Improvement Project was designed to address safety and operational concerns along the Highway 101 corridor between North Salinas and Echo Valley Road. Over the last ten years, there have been nearly 2300 accidents along this 8-mile-long stretch of highway, resulting in close to 700 injuries and 22 fatalities.
As we discussed at the meeting, it is true that when this project is completed access to Highway 101 will be less convenient for some than it was before;  however, it will also be much safer than it was before.

Making it safe for local residents to move in and out of their community is the primary purpose of this project. By closing and consolidating some of the at-grade access (local roads and driveways) to Highway 101 we will reduce both the number of accidents in this corridor and the severity of them.

Please contact me any time you have questions or concerns about this project. I look forward to working with you.

Sharon Gavin
TAMC Community Outreach Coordinator
831-775-4415
sharon@tamcmonterey.org