Big news for the Historic Highway 99 Association of California! They are getting ready to complete their first project, replacing the old and faded signs in Calexico at the south end of US 99. It is a small project but one worth the effort and a great step forward.
The first section of the San Diego Freeway in San Diego (US 101 at the time) to be constructed was the Mission Bay Bypass in 1954. Elements of this construction can still be seen today, such as some older curbing at the intersection of Damon Ave and Santa Fe St. North and south of this small section of freeway, it was still a narrower four-lane roadway with some expressway sections. Between 1966 (north) and 1969 (south), the adjacent sections were constructed, completing I-5 in the City of San Diego.
In June 2019, I sent a message to Caltrans requesting a change in the signage on I-805 northbound at El Cajon Blvd. The sign didn’t reflect the lane assignments and can be confusing to motorists not familiar with the interchange. In November, I got a response and they will not only change the sign but will move where it is placed. I thought that was pretty cool. Once again, it takes so little to make a positive change. I encourage others to do so as well.
My message:
| CSR Ticket Number: | 757911 |
| Date Submitted: | 2019-06-17 14:04:28 |
| Date Completed: | 2019-11-12 00:00:00 |
| California County: | San Diego |
| State Highway Route: | 805 |
| Nearest Town or City: | San Diego |
| Nearest Cross Street: | El Cajon Blvd |
| Mode of Transportation: | Motorcycle |
| Direction of Travel: | Northbound |
| Date & Time Situation Noticed: | 2019-06-17 12 noon – 1 pm |
| Type of Situation: | Signs – Missing, Broken, Blocked or Down |
| Description of Situation: | NB El Cajon Blvd exit sign is missing an EXIT ONLY tab and optional lane arrow. It can be confusing to motorists that don’t realize there are two possible lanes to use to exit at El Cajon Blvd when heading NB. |
| Geographic Location of Situation: | On NB I-805 approaching El Cajon Blvd |
Caltrans response:
Message from Customer Service Liaison: Our Traffic Operations Engineer reviewed this issue and provided the following response. You can expect to see a project in the near future. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Traffic Safety & Operations (South Region) is recommending the existing overhead panel be upgraded and re-positioned to centered above the two lanes of the exit ramp and also, additional sign be installed at the northbound I-805 exit ramp to El Cajon Boulevard per California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD), 2014 Edition. We will initiate a Minor B project to upgrade the existing overhead panel and forward a request to Operations Support to install “RIGHT LANE MUST EXIT SIGN” and 8-inch solid white line approaching the exit ramp.
I am putting together another highway tour, this time in San Diego County. On April 28 (weather permitting), I will be hosting a tour of US 80 from El Cajon to the Desert View Tower. Various stops will be made along the road at important locations, including the Wisteria Candy Cottage and the Desert View Tower. If you’re interested, please RSVP prior to April 25th. There will be no cost for the tour as well. I look forward to seeing you all out there on the highway. More details will follow as the tour gets closer.
