Artist Does His Part to Keep Traffic Flowing in Area of Umbrella Project

Traffic is a primary concern on the Christo umbrellas project, which runs along one of the most vital transportation corridors in the state--the Golden State Freeway.

“The only thing for sure is that traffic will be worse than it is now, maybe much worse,” said Sgt. Jack Skaggs of the California Highway Patrol. “We are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.”

Caltrans estimates the total number of vehicles that pass through the Tejon Pass on the Golden State Freeway in a normal three-week period at 1.1 million. If even the low estimate of 2 million additional visitors pans out, traffic will at least double during peak viewing times.

Greg deGiere, spokesman for the California Trucking Assn., said his organization estimates “that 41% of all the truck cargo that goes in and out of the Los Angeles Basin every day goes over that freeway.”

The CHP, California Department of Transportation, and Kern and Los Angeles county sheriff’s department officials say they are ready and give Christo a good deal of credit for their preparedness.

The artist, who said he does not want to burden his art locations with extra costs, is paying them to add extra personnel while the umbrellas are on view. Christo has contracted with the CHP for $220,000 in extra officers.

The normal complement of four or five officers for the area will be expanded to at least 13 during the project, Skaggs said. They will direct traffic and tackle various problems that arise.

Caltrans will move portable, changeable message signs to alert drivers to congested areas. “If it gets really bad, we’ll be warning people with our message signs down in L.A.,” said Ray Higa, senior transportation engineer.

Christo also paid to have temporary signs erected along the freeway to direct visitors to side-road viewing areas. His own workers will patrol the area to give out information and try to keep sightseers from trespassing on private property.

As for parking, tour buses will be directed to the two freeway rest areas along the pass, and the CHP has compiled a list of 8,797 potential parking spots along county roads. That includes more than 1,000 on Peace Valley Road near Gorman, which is normally a no-parking area. Christo paid $3,220 to county officials to temporarily remove the no-parking signs.

For viewers, getting there is one problem. Staying is another. The only motel of any size, the Caravan in Gorman, is booked by the Christo organization to provide housing for the artist’s primary collectors when they come to see the umbrellas. The two other small motels in the area have a combined total of 17 rooms and they are almost fully booked.

DeGiere said the trucking association is alerting members “and trying to find ways to re-route them, but there is not a whole lot that we can do.”

Some truckers will head west to go down U.S. 101, while others will jog east to come down California 58 and California 14, he said. Others will simply travel at night on the Golden State Freeway, when traffic is expected to greatly subside because the umbrellas are not lit.

Locals are hoping that if anything, the various agencies are over-prepared. “If it ends up like the L.A. Olympics, we’ll be in great shape,” Caltrans official Jim Parsons said.