US Hwy 95 Widen Shoulders and Install Rumble Strips (from post mile 40.0 to 40.4)

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) plans to construct two 8-foot standard shoulders, by widening the existing shoulders, and install 12-inch wide ground-in rumble strips along the centerline and along the shoulders in each direction, along a horizontal curve on existing United States Highway 95 (US-95) from post mile (PM) 40.0 to PM 40.4, located in a portion of unincorporated San Bernardino County, California. Additionally, curve warning signs with corresponding advisory speed signs would be installed in each direction. The existing 24-foot-wide mainline would be cold planed 0.2 feet, and would be overlaid for 0.2 feet with Rubberized Hot-Mix Asphalt (RHMA).

The purpose of this project is to address safety concerns caused by motorists who drift from lanes.

Caltrans is lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Environmental Document Available For Review

The Environmental Document for this planned project (Environmental Assessment [EA]), as well as the related Technical Studies, are available for review and copying at:

Needles Branch Library
1111 Bailey Avenue
Needles, CA 92363
(760) 326-9255

The Environmental Document is also available at the Caltrans District Office (464 W 4th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92401) on weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm.

Comments Welcome On The Environmental Document

If you would like to make a comment on the EA or regarding the planned project in general, your comments will be part of the public record. Written comments are due by Friday, November 3, 2017, and should be sent to:

James Shankel
Senior Environmental Planner
California Department of Transportation
464 W. Fourth St., 6th Floor Mail Station 827
San Bernardino, CA 92401-1400

Send comments via email to: james.shankel@dot.ca.gov

Please use “95 Shoulder Widening and Rumble Strips Project” in the subject line of the email.

Please be sure to send comments by the deadline: November 3, 2017.

Project Alternatives Studied

For the proposed project, a Build Alternative and a No-Build Alternative were evaluated in conjunction with preparation of the Environmental Assessment.

Build Alternative

The existing US-95 consists of a two-lane highway with one lane in each direction. The existing lanes are 12 feet wide, with paved shoulders varying from 0 to 2 feet. The Build Alternative proposes to construct two eight-foot standard shoulders in both directions of US-95 installation of 12-inch-wide centerline rumble strips and 12-inch-wide shoulder rumble strips from PM 40.0 to PM 40.4. To increase safety enhancements as part of this alternative, curve warning signs with corresponding advisory speed signs would be installed in each direction. The existing 24-footwide mainline would be cold planed 0.2 feet, and would be overlaid for 0.2 feet with Rubberized Hot-Mix Asphalt (RHMA). A construction staging area is proposed on a previously disturbed area at PM 40.0. Please refer to Figure 3, Build Alternative (Project).

No-Build Alternative

Under the No-Build Alternative, US-95 would not be widened. No rumble strip installation or shoulder paving would occur. Within the project area, US-95 would continue to be a two-lane road, separated by a double yellow line, with each lane approximately 12 feet wide. No other improvements would be constructed on this portion of US-95 under the No-Build Alternative for this project.