Accidents Soar at Interim O.C. Freeway Ramp

Accidents have more than doubled since construction began two years ago at a busy freeway interchange that was the scene of a deadly tanker-truck explosion earlier this month and Caltrans says it has not yet decided whether to further safeguard the area.

The ramp at the interchange of the Santa Ana and Riverside freeways has been the focus of a safety investigation by Caltrans officials ever since the March 12 accident, which killed two men and engulfed the highway in flames as the truck’s cargo of gasoline and diesel fuel ignited.

Since work started on the interchange in late 1996, there have been 33 accidents on the ramp, including 10 involving trucks. One fatality and 13 other accidents took place in the three years before construction. None involved trucks.

“The ramp has had a higher number of accidents than average,” said Caltrans spokeswoman Rose Orem. “We are concerned that there is a problem.”

But two weeks after the crash, no action has been taken by Caltrans officials and some at the agency argue that the ramp, used by more than 28,000 vehicles each day, is safe as it is. The resident engineer overseeing improvements at the interchange said Thursday that he does not believe more signs are necessary.

“We feel that the signs were adequate and the alignment was safe for that speed limit. It is a very difficult situation,” said Caltrans engineer Fred Hamidi, who has worked on the project for more than two years. “We’re trying to modify that connector and it is very complicated.”

The ramp is unusual in that drivers exit to the left instead of right, Hamidi said. One of the goals of the construction project is to replace the ramp with one that exits to the right, which will be completed later this year. In the interim, Caltrans has built several temporary ramps, including the one that has been in place for the past eight months.

Caltrans has been aware of confusion at the interchange for some time. In late December, the agency added directional signs in response to numerous complaints by motorists who said they couldn’t figure out how to use the exit.

The posted speed limit on the ramp is 25 mph and Caltrans officials say it is safe at that speed. But Caltrans officials now are considering adding another 25-mph speed limit on the Riverside Freeway well in advance of the controversial interchange to give motorists warning of what’s to come. A sign may also be added to show the steep curve of the ramp leading from the westbound Riverside Freeway to the northbound Santa Ana Freeway in hopes of slowing motorists.

Witnesses to the tanker-truck crash told highway patrol officers the driver of the truck was going faster than the posted speed limit when the truck carrying 8,000 gallons of fuel toppled over, crushing a car and exploding. Highway patrol officers said a final report on the accident will be issued sometime next month.

Mike McNally, a UC Irvine professor who works for the school’s Institute for Transportation Studies, said dropping rapidly from a high speed to a lower speed is a common cause of accidents.

“One of the most important things in transportation safety is to give people enough warning to allow them the time to react,” McNally said. “And it has to be placed in a location where it won’t be too late. “

The problems at the interchange are not new. A study by county transportation authorities released a year ago targeted the area as one of five in the county prone to truck accidents. Since that report came out, little has been done at any of the sites to fix problems, county officials said.

Among possible fixes down the road may be the use of carpool entrance ramp for trucks, the addition of truck bypass lanes on some roads and added police enforcement of big-rigs in areas where accidents have occurred.

The troubled ramp is part of a $1-billion widening project on the Santa Ana Freeway, and is still two years from completion.

“It’s a challenging intersection to drive through,” said John Standiford, spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority. “But it was challenging even before construction started. When the project is completed it will be much easier.”

But Standiford said county officials still want Caltrans to take another look at safety at the site.

“If there are ways of improving the safety there then Caltrans and the CHP will do that,” he said. “Motorists have to remember that construction zones require more caution.”

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Accidents Up

Accidents at the junction of the westbound Riverside Freeway and northbound Santa Ana Freeway have skyrocketed since construction began at the intersection in 1997.

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trucks other total 1994: 0 2 2 1995: 0 6 6 1996: 0 6 6 1997: 6 11 17 1998: 3 12 15

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Source: Caltrans