Signs Posted on PCH Near Arches Are Adequate, Caltrans Says

Dear Street Smart:

The widening of Pacific Coast Highway from the Arches Bridge (Newport Boulevard West) included a much needed signal at the Balboa Coves / Lower Hoag Hospital entrance. Now cars leaving or entering on the north or south side of this intersection have the assistance of a signal. However, it has created two traffic problems.

First, over 95% of the westbound cars using the left-turn lane into the Balboa Coves entrance actually make a U-turn to go east and up the ramp to get on Newport Boulevard heading for the peninsula. The intended way to reach the peninsula heading west on Pacific Coast Highway is to make a right turn just beyond the Arches overpass, reaching a signal at Newport Boulevard, allowing them to turn right on Newport Boulevard. However, the highway signs on Pacific Coast Highway are not clear.

If the vehicles are not in the extreme right lane as they proceed under the underpass, they miss the right turn and continue west on Pacific Coast Highway. Then, to reach the peninsula, they must make a U-turn to reach the Newport Boulevard ramp on the south side of Pacific Coast Highway.

More prominent signs, plus a sign on the east face of the Arches overpass indicating a right turn to reach the peninsula on Newport Boulevard, would improve this situation.

The secondary problem is the sign on Newport Boulevard going south directing the traffic to the right lane for Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Long Beach and San Diego. Traffic wishing to go east to San Diego (Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, etc.) that stays in the right lane of the off-ramp cannot turn left, and again, uses the left-turn signal at Balboa Coves to make a U-turn.

Both situations could be corrected by providing signs that direct vehicles to the proper lane in sufficient time for drivers to reach that lane and make the turn.

Jack F. King

Newport Beach

An investigation by Caltrans traffic engineers reached these conclusions.

First, for drivers going west on Pacific Coast Highway heading for the peninsula, investigators found that the posted signs were adequate considering the limited space available between the Arches and the southbound on-ramp leading to Balboa Peninsula, said Rose Orem, spokeswoman for Caltrans. Too many signs can confuse drivers, she said.

Secondly, for those exiting from Newport Boulevard to Pacific Coast Highway, a sign and painted arrows on the three-lane exit help direct motorists, Orem said. The left and center lanes are striped for left turns only (to San Diego) and the right lane is for right turns only (to Long Beach).

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The Orange County Transportation Authority board of directors will conduct a public hearing at 9 a.m. today to consider the Orange County component of the Regional Transportation Improvement Program. The hearing will be held at the Hall of Administration, 10 Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana.

The seven-year program of improvements for highways, transit and local streets and roads includes about 600 Orange County projects totaling more than $8 billion.

It will later become part of the State Transportation Improvement Plan. Most of the funding for projects in the regional and state plans come from state and federal gas taxes.

All comments received during the public hearing or that are received in writing by the authority will be submitted to the Southern California Assn. of Governments for incorporation into the final report. SCAG regional council will hold a public hearing on the entire report in May.

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Ten call boxes recently were installed along Laguna Canyon Road, giving drivers emergency access to a California Highway Patrol or local police department dispatcher. The boxes are part of a network of more than 1,200 call boxes on every freeway in the county, Santiago Canyon Road, Ortega Highway and Carbon Canyon Road.

Orange County’s call boxes were first installed in 1986 and are used about 400 times a day. They are financed by a $1 assessment on vehicle registrations within the county.