Emergency Lane Closure on Southbound Magnolia Avenue

Heavy runoff overwhelmed a storm drain construction site early this morning, forcing the city of Santee to close a southbound lane about 6 a.m. on Magnolia Avenue at Mission Gorge Road.

The lane closure hampered the early morning commute for motorists heading to State Route 52.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, which we know caused headaches for motorists trying to get to work,” said a city spokesman.

The problem occurred when heavy storm surge caused erosion that undermined trench shoring put in place for a storm drain replacement project that will continue through December.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible until the traffic lane is fixed, which is expected by the end of today.

Accident Statistics Offer Insight on El Nopal-Mast Blvd. Issue



El Nopal's sharp curves in Lakeside 

Critics claim that a traffic hazard has been created on El Nopal because the city of Santee has not completed a proposed connection of Mast Boulevard eastward into the unincorporated community of Lakeside.

This argument relies on the assumption that the cause of the accidents occurring on El Nopal will somehow disappear if and when the city and county pave the 1,000-foot gap of Mast Boulevard that exists today.

Critics refer to El Nopal as a “detour” route around the missing link of Mast Boulevard. In fact, El Nopal is a decades-old residential collector street that will remain in existence regardless of what happens with Mast Boulevard.

It should be noted that Lakeside’s portion of El Nopal has two sharp curves, which is where many of the accidents have occurred.

State accident statistics compiled over the last decade show that a majority of accidents on El Nopal were the result of speeding motorists.

From 2002 to 2012, there were 46 traffic accidents (including one fatality) along the county’s stretch of El Nopal between Los Ranchitos and Riverford roads where the “S” curves are located.  Less than 6 percent of those collisions were serious-injury accidents. The lone fatal accident occurred in 2004 and involved a motorcycle rider.

During the same 10-year period, there was one fatal accident and nine other vehicle collisions in Santee’s jurisdiction along El Nopal from Magnolia Avenue to Los Ranchitos Road.  The lone fatal accident occurred in 2005 and involved a motorcyclist who was under the influence of alcohol.

Here’s the breakdown of how the 46 accidents occurred over the past decade along the section of El Nopal containing the two sharp curves:

• Traveling at unsafe speed -- 54.3 percent
• Driving on wrong side of road – 19.6 percent
• Driving under the influence  -- 13 percent
• Improper turning – 8.7 percent
• Right of way violations – 4.3 percent

Completing the gap on Mast Boulevard between Lakeside and Santee would cost the city of Santee $4.5 million. The county would have to spend $1.7 million to complete the Lakeside portion.

Even if the city completed the Mast Boulevard connection to the east, the sharp curves along Lakeside’s portion of El Nopal, which is governed by the county, would still remain.  The county’s transportation master plan envisions no future improvements for El Nopal, which is described as “a 2-lane road…sufficient to meet projected traffic volumes.”

Moreover, connecting Mast Boulevard through to Lakeside would increase traffic on the Santee side by an estimated 35 percent.  Completing this connection also would funnel truck traffic serving the industrial parks in Lakeside into Santee’s residential neighborhoods and past two high schools.

Completing Mast Boulevard would offer a convenient route for a few, but it will expose many Santee residents to higher traffic volumes and greater truck traffic.

 

SDG&E Work to Impact Local Traffic

Motorists should watch for traffic cones along Magnolia and Woodside avenues as a result of trenching and other work being performed by SDG&E and its contractors.

Affected areas will be:

·         Magnolia Avenue from Mast Blvd. to Mission Gorge Road

·         Woodside Avenue from Magnolia to State Route 67.

Some of the work will occur in the evening and early morning hours.  SDG&E officials say they will notify adjacent residents and businesses of the potential impact.

SDG&E is doing the work to accommodate the expansion of the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility and  “ to provide more electric capacity to the area in an effort to insure that current and future customers continue to have reliable electric service,” the company said.

Work will start in May and is expected to be complete by mid-September

Questions or feedback can be directed to SDG&E’s Public Affairs Manager Don Parent at

 DParent@semprautilities.com

 

 

Speed Feedback Signs: A Gentle Reminder

In an effort to get motorists to change unsafe habits, the city of Santee today activated four radar speed feedback signs along Magnolia Avenue.

The devices measure the speed of approaching vehicles and flash that number to motorists as they pass by. They're intended to get motorists to slow down, which in turn can reduce the number and severity of traffic collisions.

Next week,  the city will activate two additional speed feedback signs along Mast Boulevard,  where a similar one has been in place for several  years near West Hills High School.

The feedback sign has four different displays based on the speed of the oncoming vehicle. They are:

1.        If you’re within the speed limit, the lighted sign remains blank.

2.        If you’re traveling less than five miles over the speed limit, the sign displays your speed.

3.        If you’re traveling between 5 and 10 miles per hour over the limit, the sign repeatedly flashes  your excessive speed. 

4.       If you’re traveling more than 10 miles over the speed limit, the sign flashes this message: “slow down.”

The cost to install the signs, which are solar powered, will be covered by a $91,000 grant from the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program.

Stark Reminder Posted at Crash Site

A sign intended to prompt motorists to reflect on the consequences of drunk driving  was posted Jan. 31 where northbound State Route 125 ends at Mission Gorge Road in Santee.

The sign says: “Please don’t drink and drive.  In memory of Pamela Marabeas.”

Marabeas, a 53-year-old mother of two,  was killed at the intersection in September 2009 when her SUV was struck broadside by a pickup truck that ran through a red light at more than 80 miles per hour. The truck was driven by 17-year-old girl who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.  She survived the crash, but was severely injured.

Marabeas’ relatives, who paid the $1,000 cost to erect the sign, are hoping it will serve as a reminder that driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol is a recipe for tragedy.

The Sheriff’s Department uses the crushed SUV involved in the fatal crash as a visual aid at driver safety classes aimed at teens.

City Erases Traffic Bottleneck

The annoying rush-hour traffic back-ups on southbound Cuyamaca
Street at the eastbound onramp to State Route 52 have been eliminated.

 

Former traffic headache is fixed

The problem? The lone left-turn lane couldn’t handle the heavy traffic volume during peak commuter hours. Motorists trying to access the freeway onramp were often forced to wait through two or even three cycles of the turn-signal light. 




Advisory for the additional lane

Earlier this month, the striping was redone to add a second left-turn lane. Ta-da. Problem fixed. “The new striping has improved traffic significantly and virtually eliminated congestion,” reports principal traffic engineer Minjie Mei.