Critical Junction

The approval process for the construction of California 56 West is reaching a critical milestone. On Sept. 13, the California Coastal Commission will hold a public hearing to review the environmental impact report for the California 56 West-Carmel Valley Restoration and Enhancement Project.

Along with this EIR, the commission will hear testimony on the Interstates 5 and 805 widening and the California 56 and I-5 interchange.

California 56 is a regional solution, the only solution. Adopted by the State Highway Commission in 1965 and consistent with the 1989 regional transportation plan, it has always been regarded as a vital east-west transportation link. The voters of San Diego also regard California 56 as a regional road. In 1987, both California 56 West and California 56 East received overwhelming approval as part of the 1987 Proposition A half-cent sales-tax measure for transportation projects.

Currently, there is no east-west freeway between California 52 and California 78, a gap of 22 miles. It is a gap that forces regional traffic onto local streets and arterials, a gap that adds to overwhelming congestion on I-5 and I-805 in the west and I-15 in the east, a gap that affects public safety by severely increasing response times for the Highway Patrol and police and fire departments.

California 56 West will convert a 1.8-mile section of Carmel Valley Road into a four-lane freeway. It will re-create a biologically enhanced drainage and sediment control channel and also modify a small portion of development area and land use in North City West and Sorrento Hills.

Without California 56, there will be a complete breakdown at the I-5 and Carmel Valley Road interchange, with traffic volume estimated at 2,500 cars per hour. Additionally, forecasts show that the main lanes of I-5 would experience extended breakdowns during peak hours.

The intolerable congestion and safety hazards on the I-5 and I-805 interchange necessitate the road improvements and construction of the dual freeway. The approval of these two freeway projects is the only answer to the ever-mounting traffic problems of that area.

HANNAH S. COHEN

Mid-County Transportation Coalition

San Diego