Bouncing Seaward Avenue Bridge Gives Driver Shakes

Dear Street Smart:

How safe is the bridge over the Ventura Freeway on Seaward Avenue in Ventura?

While waiting on the bridge to make a left turn onto the northbound freeway, I often notice the bridge is definitely bouncing or vibrating strongly up and down.

This is especially noticeable when a large semi is crossing the bridge, although on occasion it has occurred with only cars on the bridge.

I am concerned, as I have never experienced this on any other bridge in the highway system of California, and I have never heard of a concrete bridge designed to bounce up and down.

Helen Fiedler, Oxnard

Dear Reader:

Ventura engineer Nazir Lalani begs to differ.

The shaking you feel as you cross the Seaward bridge is intentional.

Bridges are, in fact, built to be flexible, Lalani says. Otherwise they would crack and snap at the slightest vibration.

Your safety level on the Seaward bridge is as good as it would be on any bridge that has not been retrofitted for earthquakes, Lalani says.

In 1997, the Seaward bridge will be replaced with a new, seismically sound bridge as part of a project to improve the traffic flow near the Seward entrance to the Ventura Freeway, Lalani says.

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Dear Street Smart:

Within the last few weeks, a stop sign was installed in the residential area at the corner of Henderson Road and Emerald Street (near Kimball and Telegraph roads).

There is nothing wrong with having a stop sign at this intersection, but the implementation leaves much to be desired.

Far from being at eye level, the sign is at least 2 feet taller than any other stop sign in the area.

In addition, the sign is placed as far away from the curb as possible, and is partially obscured by tree growth from a nearby house.

To top it all off, no effort has been made to paint a limit line or STOP warning on the street proper.

As a result, I did not notice the sign until my wife pointed it out to me after I had been driving right by it for several days.

One could undoubtedly argue out of a conviction if a citation were to be issued for failing to stop.

Why was the installation job so sloppy?

Craig Anderson, Ventura

Dear Reader:

This could be a case of a bumbling contractor.

The city of Ventura usually installs all its own stop signs, following very strict guidelines, says traffic engineer Nazir Lalani.

But occasionally, if city workers get backed up, they hire a contractor to do the job.

Such is the case with the sign at Henderson and Emerald.

Lalani says the city will investigate the problem and, if need be, fix the sign.

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Dear Street Smart:

The traffic light at Collins Drive and Campus Park Drive in Moorpark needs work.

I’ve noticed the traffic sensors buried in the road, but they must be either turned off or are broken.

This is obvious because often I see cars from three directions waiting at a red light while the traffic has long passed through the one direction that has a green light.

I’ve never seen a signal that allows a green light for only one direction at a time.

If it is supposed to help the traffic that is turning left, it is going to waste. Because the left-turn arrow stays on long after all cars are through turning.

Can the timing at this intersection be improved?

Dan Shea, Moorpark

Dear Reader:

By the end of July, you will see faster, better green lights at this intersection.

Timing at the intersection of Collins and Campus Park seems skewed because it has not been changed since the amount of traffic dropped after the connector between the Moorpark and Simi Valley freeways opened last fall, says Ken Gilbert, Moorpark’s public works director.

Heavy traffic led the city to allow the signal to be programmed for a green light for only one direction at a time, Gilbert says.

Now that the traffic has dropped, the lighting will be changed to the more conventional two-way green light system.

The California Department of Transportation, which shares responsibility for the intersection, has promised to tinker with the timing to speed up the changing of the lights, Gilbert says.