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Caltrans Apologizes For Pacifica Road Work That Caused Traffic Meltdown

PACIFICA (CBS SF) -- The City of Pacifica says that Caltrans has apologized for failing to notify them of road work that led to hours of unexpected traffic congestion on state Highway 1 Monday.

Caltrans closed one southbound lane of Highway 1 around 9:30 a.m.  Monday morning between Mori Point Road and Rockaway Beach Avenue for repaving, which caused significant traffic impacts, according to Pacifica's Interim Chief of Police Dan Steidle.

That situation got worse after an accident nearby around 12 p.m., which delayed completion of the repaving work. The work ran late into the night when crews ran out of asphalt. Mixer trucks with more asphalt were stuck in traffic.

"I have never seen such outrage by the community for this senseless situation that we had to endure last night and it's just not acceptable," said Pacifica Mayor Karen Ervin, who told KCBS Radio she was up until 2:00 a.m. responding to phone calls and emails from irate drivers.

"It's really beyond comprehension that they didn't have a plan in place in order to ensure they had enough asphalt to do the job, in addition to not telling us they were doing the work in the first place so we can make preparations in the city."

Caltrans had planned to do similar work Tuesday on northbound Highway 1 between Fassler and Reine Del Mar avenues from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but spokeswoman Gidget Navarro told KCBS Radio the roadwork was cancelled and has not been rescheduled.

Navarro also told KPIX 5 the driver involved in the accident almost hit some Caltrans crews and they were shaken up.

Steidle says Caltrans has control over Highway 1 maintenance, but the City of Pacifica plans to discuss coordination and notification issues with Caltrans, as well as limiting road maintenance to nighttime hours.

 

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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