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news
Interstate 710
construction, burden for commuters
By Melissa Anderson
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
The 2.5-mile stretch
of Interstate 710 between Pacific Coast Highway and
Interstate 405 is the first of three renovation projects for
the 20-mile span from PCH to San Bernardino, which began on
March 25, 2001.
The I-710 has been
around for 46 years, averaging 155,000 daily traffic commuters.
"The 710 has
never been completely reconstructed," said Patricia Reid,
a spokeswoman for California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans).
Trucks account
for 13 percent of total traffic; the original design only
assumed trucks for 5 percent of the total traffic, according
to the Caltrans Web site. The I-710 also has one of the highest
concentrations of deteriorated pavement in the state due to
the high amount of traffic.
The renovation
project is managed by the Caltrans Corporation and the pavement
industry. Also involved in this project is the UC Berkeley
Pavement Research Center. Caltrans is spending $400 million
on the entire three-part project, which is expected for completion
at the end of 2007. The I-710 is the first part of the
project, costing $16.7 million, and aimed for completion by
the end of 2002.
The project is
using new and improved asphalt mix designs, and the structural
designs are different from the traditional methods, according
to Reid. Furthermore, the metal medians will be replaced with
concrete, and the shoulders of the I-710 freeway will also
be widened.
This will be the
first usage of the long-life asphalt concrete on a major concrete
highway in California.
"Typical asphalt
lasts 10 years, this new product will extend it to 30 or 40
years," said Reid. "The new asphalt is going to
be used on the first part of the project (between the 405
and PCH), and the other two parts of the project might just
use concrete."
There are numerous
Cal State Long Beach students who commute via the I-710 and
do not feel safe under the construction condition.
"With the
construction it makes it even more difficult to drive, especially
with the wall there; it makes it feel smaller," said
William Hall, senior, communications. "I'm hoping when
the 710 is finished it will make the commute easier."
"I still take
the 710, I just stay in the left lane and try to merge around
the trucks," said I-710 commuter Emily Norman, graduate
student. "I am on the I-710 all the time, and I haven't
seen one worker."
Commuters may not
see too many workers because most of the work is being done
at night and on weekends. There will be some lanes closed
in both directions during extended weekends, which is Friday
evening to Monday morning, according to Reid.
"There will
be 10 extended, nonconsecutive weekend closures," Reid
said. Two traveling lanes will remain open between the
PCH and the I-405 during the extended closure."
The closures are
expected for the end of 2001. In the meantime, the majority
of the construction will occur weeknights, Monday through
Friday 11pm-5am, according to the Caltrans Web site.
Caltrans will offer
the project contractor special bonuses to get the work done
faster.
"They get
bonuses if they finish it quicker then the 10 extended weekends,
and if longer then they will have to pay a penalty,"
Reid stated. The agreement was also involved with the
recent construction of the San Bernardino Interstate 10 Highway
through Ponoma.
Not only will the
I-710 be a smoother, safer freeway, but Caltrans and
the Long Beach Public Corporation for the Arts hope to make
it a prettier drive as well.
The I-710 referred
to, as the gateway to Long Beach, will also include some artwork.
Caltrans is working with the PCA to create artwork that will
be sandblasted onto the medians.
Landscape and beautification
projects are planned to replace deteriorating landscaping.
This is set to begin fall 2003, and is a 3.5 million-dollar
contract, according to Reid.
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