Work to Widen California 78 Starts at Last

Caltrans has begun construction on the long-awaited widening of California 78, the only major east-west route in North County, which will expand the freeway from four to six lanes and improve the access ramps along its 16.6-mile length from Oceanside east to Escondido.

When completed in late 1992, the widening project is expected to ease congestion on the popular commuter route, which now carries 110,000 vehicles a day--twice the number that used the freeway a decade ago.

The $38.8-million project will cause some temporary tie-ups in the coming weeks, as traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction during nighttime hours while California Department of Transportation crews lengthen off-ramps and on-ramps and build median barriers.

Closures After 8 at Night

Caltrans spokesman Jim Larson said the lane closures will be done after 8 p.m., allowing the freeway to remain open to two-lane traffic each way during peak morning and evening commuter hours.

The first segment to be affected by the closures will be the 3.6-mile stretch between San Marcos Boulevard and the Interstate 15 connections in Escondido.

Work on the Escondido-to-Oceanside freeway widening project started two weeks ago on the sector east of San Marcos Boulevard to Interstate 15. Completion of that segment is scheduled for December.

Caltrans also began accepting bids Monday for the second phase of the project, which will lengthen off-ramps and prepare a 6.4-mile section of the freeway for widening between San Marcos Boulevard to west of Melrose Drive in Vista, a $7.8-million project.

Bids for the second phase of the project will be opened Aug. 3, with work expected to start in late September.

Next year, Caltrans plans to widen to six lanes a 3.6-mile section of the freeway from I-5 in Oceanside to east of College Boulevard, raising the road grade between Jefferson Boulevard and El Camino Real to prevent flooding. The work is expected to start late next year and be completed by the summer of 1991. The project will cost $5.5 million.

Widening Will Begin in 1991

Widening of the 2.2-mile-long section of the freeway to six lanes from east of College Boulevard in Oceanside to Melrose Drive in Vista--a $6.3-million project--will begin in the summer of 1991 and be completed about a year later.

The final widening project of the freeway will begin in the fall of 1990 and will take two years for completion. Included is the paving of the fifth and sixth lanes from Melrose Drive east to San Marcos Boulevard.

The final $14.2-million project also will include replacement of bridges at Melrose Drive, Sycamore Avenue, Las Posas Road, Smilax Road and San Marcos Boulevard. The bridge replacements will allow the cities of Vista and San Marcos to widen these streets where they pass under the freeway.

Funds for the project are coming from a combination of federal, state and local funds. Rep. Ron Packard (R-Carlsbad) obtained a federal matching demonstration grant, which state and local governments are supplementing.