After a Few Bumps in the Road, Newport Boulevard Work to Begin

Dear Street Smart:

I would like to know when Caltrans plans to resurface Newport Boulevard from 16th Street in Costa Mesa to Coast Highway in Newport Beach. I called Caltrans last summer about the condition of that roadway.

They said that it was scheduled for resurfacing at the end of September, after the summer traffic and before the rains. Newport Boulevard from the end of the Costa Mesa Freeway to 16th Street through Costa Mesa was resurfaced and the ride is very smooth up to 16th Street. But this last stretch is like driving over a war-torn road in some Third World country or the back roads of the mountains.

This segment, the main road leading into and out of Newport Beach, should be an embarrassment to the city of Newport Beach and they should push to have it repaired. Please let us know what is in the works for repairing this part of Newport Boulevard.

Harlan Lassiter

Newport Beach

The resurfacing of Newport Boulevard between 16 Street and Coast Highway will be open for bid in late March, and construction is expected to begin in April, said Rose Orem, a spokeswoman for Caltrans. The project should be completed before summer, she said.

The project originally was slated to begin last fall, but Caltrans was unable to find any qualified bidders and had to repeat the bidding process, Orem said.

Dear Street Smart:

I remember reading a few years ago that unless an intersection is posted for “no U turns” it is OK to do so. One of the agents in my real estate office made a U-turn in front of the office to park and was given a ticket by a Laguna Beach police officer. He was very nice about it, but said there was no such law on the books.

Les Jenison

Laguna Beach

This is a sticky wicket, and without knowing which vehicle code section your agent was cited under, it is hard to tell if he made an illegal U-turn. But the California Vehicle Code is chock full of laws pertaining to U-turns and here are some facts to help you decide:

Generally, it is true that you can make a U-turn unless there is a sign prohibiting it. Of course, you always remember to start your U-turn from the far left-hand lane that is lawfully available to you.

But, even if there is no sign, you are not allowed to make a U-turn in front of the driveway entrance or approach to a fire station, or if your view is obstructed for 200 feet.

It also is illegal to make a U-turn within 100 feet of a business district except at an intersection with traffic control signals, according to the Vehicle Code.

Dear Street Smart:

What may seem as a small problem has caused many an angry motorist and a dangerous situation, especially around the holidays with the added South Coast Plaza mall traffic. I’m referring to the on-ramp to the San Diego Freeway south from Bristol Street south.

While there are two lanes at the beginning of the on-ramp, the lines designating the lanes end, leading motorists not familiar with the on-ramp toward the middle into a single lane and slowing the appropriate merging of cars onto the freeway. To compound the problem, the signs at the signal light each have a different message.

One side states “One Car Per Green” while the other side states “One Car Per Green Each Lane.” Extending the lines to the limit line of the signal would go a long way to clear up the confusion.

Gary Gray

Costa Mesa

The center lane striping on the Bristol on-ramp has faded over the years, Orem said. Weather permitting, maintenance crews should be able to restore the lane striping and stop bar at the ramp meter signal within the next couple of weeks, she said.

Also, Caltrans and the city of Costa Mesa are funding a project to modify this ramp interchange, Orem said. Work is scheduled to begin by this summer.

Caltrans engineers do not believe the signs on either side of the on-ramp cause any confusion and there are no plans to change them, Orem said.

Street Smart appears Mondays in The Times Orange County Edition. Readers are invited to submit comments and questions about traffic, commuting and what makes it difficult to get around in Orange County. Include simple sketches if helpful. Letters may be published in upcoming columns. Please write to Caroline Lemke, c/o Street Smart, The Times Orange County, P.O. Box 2008, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Include your full name, address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted.