Good Oversight - California in Action

[garbon]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/09/BAAE1AHDO3.DTL

Caltrans will add more safety measures and warning signs on the Bay Bridge to try to get drivers to slow down before the new S-curve, where a truck driver lost control early today and plunged in his big rig 200 feet to his death on Yerba Buena Island.

New signs advising motorists of the 40 mph speed limit, reflective striping and radar boards flashing drivers' speeds are among the changes in store as a result of the crash, Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said at a news conference today.

There have been more than 42 accidents in the curved area since it opened Sept. 8 as part of the eastern span replacement project, but the truck plunge was the first in which someone died, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol said the primary factors in today's accident were the driver's speed and the shifting weight of his cargo, and not any problems with the S-curve's design.

The crash happened about 3:30 a.m. as the big rig, loaded with pears, was traveling on the westbound upper deck at about 50 mph - 1o mph over the speed limit in that zone - said CHP Sgt. Trent Cross.

The truck tipped over the 3-foot-high rail on the northern side of the S-curve and plummeted onto Yerba Buena Island, landing on its wheels and disintegrating into countless pieces. Security guards on the island who heard the crash and were first on the scene said it was clear that the driver, a 56-year-old Hayward man whose name has not been released, had died instantly.

The driver was an independent operator who bought the big rig several months ago from California Tank Lines Inc. of Stockton, authorities said.

He picked up his load of pears in a trailer from Orient Overseas Container Line in San Ramon, CHP Officer Tony Tam said. Investigators suspect that the load shifted as the driver hit the S-curve, something that could have helped propel the truck over the side of the span.

Caltrans inspected the bridge and reopened the far-right lane to traffic at 7:45 a.m.

About 15 CHP investigators were collecting evidence at Yerba Buena Island for a probe that is expected to take weeks. Overhead, a mattress, apparently from the truck's cab, could be seen balancing on the bridge railing.

Cross said CHP officials believe the S-curve is safe. "We don't believe it's a design flaw," he said. "There's nothing tricky or complicated about the curve. I can stand here with confidence and say that if you drive the posted speed limit, you will make it through the curve safely, just as thousands of drivers do every day."

Cross said there was no video from security or traffic cameras on the bridge that captured the crash.

On Oct. 14, a Safeway big rig truck flopped across four lanes when it hit the S-curve, tying up westbound truck for hours. The driver was unfamiliar with the new turn and was going too fast, the CHP said.

The speed limit on the S-curve is 40 mph, a decrease from the 50 mph on the rest of the span, and drivers have had difficulty negotiating the sudden curve.

The sharp increase in accidents and drivers' complaints led Caltrans and the CHP to install new signs and flashing lights. The CHP is planning to put in radar units, the electronic boards that flash the speed of an approaching car. Although the boards have been ordered, it was unclear when they would be available. Ney said officials are trying to accelerate their arrival.

On Tuesday, crews will begin adding 6-inch-wide reflective strips on the barriers on either side of the S-curve on both decks, Ney said.

At some point, crews will also install a large overhead sign with flashing beacons that warn westbound motorists of the 40-mph zone, Ney said. Caltrans will add warning signs farther back from the S-curve, including one near the top of the incline on the upper deck, Ney said.

Caltrans has considered installing "rumble strips" in the area of the S-curve - rows of traffic dots extending across the roadway - but have no immediate plans to do so, Ney said.

The agency has already made several changes in hopes of getting drivers to slow down. Crews painted solid white lines to discourage lane changes and added dots to jar drivers moving to one side or the other.

Last week, Caltrans installed reflectors through the area to catch the attention of drivers at night, the CHP said.

The CHP said the majority of the S-curve crashes have been fender-benders. The crashes have been split relatively evenly between the upper and lower decks and have mostly occurred during non-commute hours, officials said.

"From Day One since we had this S-curve open, we've tried to instill in the motoring public that you really have to watch your speed in this area," Cross said. "Speed has always been a factor in every traffic collision that has occurred in this S-curve."

Cross said this morning's accident, like many others, was preventable and is "another example of poor judgment in which someone lost their life. This didn't have to happen."

So in September a piece of bridge was installed for the Bay Bridge (bridge connects SF to Oakland), a temporary piece mind you, until a real upgrade could be done. Of course, this is the bridge that has been supposedly been in line to get earthquake proofed following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (yay 2 decades and counting!).  Since this new S-curve piece was added in, there have been over 40 accidents including this first fatality as people don't really have a handle on how slow they have to drive to navigate this bridge segment.  Also, the end of October saw one of the supporting cables snap, causing a portion of the bridge to collapse on three cars and closed the bridge for several days.

Sounds like a great use of money...

[Capetan Mihali]

They still need to put that barrier on the GG Bridge.

[MadImmortalMan]

OMG I'm going to drive across that S curve tomorrow!   

[garbon]

:nelson

Remember to slow down!

[MadImmortalMan]

I made it safely! 


I survived to have a very interesting evening last night hanging out in a hookah bar named Cafe Chanta with a bunch of Tunisians. 

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1167504320795

Of course I was the only white guy there except this one guy from Argentina who also spoke Arabic. I think he was one of the owners of the place. Fun times. 

USA!