SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) - A Caltrans project to expand an SR-78 ramp in North San Diego County has some residents concerned about their safety.
Crews have been working on the Woodland Parkway on-ramp to improve the flow of traffic to the freeway. Eventually, there will be an additional laneat the Woodland and Barham on-ramps.
Residents told 10News the construction set-up is too dangerous for drivers.
“I'm saying a prayer before I get on the ramp cause you really need it,” said Jacqueline Duron.
She also said the ramp set-up doesn’t give drivers enough time to speed up and merge onto the freeway safely.
“A lot of the times all the lanes are packed - so there's nowhere for anybody to go - and drivers going up the ramp getting smashed on the cement wall,” said Duron.
Neighbors also posted concerns on the NextDoor app, calling the situation a ‘death trap’.
Crash statistics for the Woodland Parkway ramp to westbound SR-78 show a slight uptick from last year, with seven crashes to the previous year’s five.
Even though the number of accidents were slightly higher this year compared to 2017, the CHP says the numbers do not support the existence of an issue.
10News talked with Caltrans about neigbors' concerns. Public information officer Ed Joyce said the roadwork meets temporary construction code standards, allowing enough time and room for drivers to merge.
“They want to pay attention when they get near construction zones, avoid all distractions be work zone alert and be courteous,” Joyce said about drivers.
Caltrans construction information is publicly available online.
