Caltrans is taking action to make a potentially dangerous highway off-ramp safer for drivers after an NBC 7 viewer brought the issue to their attention.
The off-ramp is located on the east side of Interstate 5 at H Street in Chula Vista.
Danny Leung said he’s flagged the area for the city of Chula Vista officials and has complained about the potential danger of the intersection for two years.
Leung has videotaped near collisions involving vehicles leaving the highway and ignoring posted signage to re-enter the highway.
“I've seen people honking at each other, coming close to hitting each other, I've almost gotten hit,” Leung said.
Vehicles exiting I-5 have the option of turning west or east on H Street. There is no lane to drive straight and re-enter the highway.
After being contacted by Leung, NBC 7 reached out to Caltrans. Officials tell us they’ve notified the California Highway Patrol that drivers are illegally crossing the designated turn lanes.
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Caltrans officials say the agency will also install more signs on both sides of the ramp, raise existing signs and widen the white striping on the roadway for the left-only turn lane.
Improvements should be completed by early 2018.
Here is the full statement from Caltrans:
The pavement markings at the northbound Interstate 5 off-ramp to H Street in Chula Vista clearly indicate a left-turn-only lane, a left or right turn lane and a right-turn-only lane. There is no through lane from the Northbound I-5/ H Street off-ramp to return to northbound I-5. Poor driver behavior is a safety hazard that can result in serious injury or death and is a law enforcement issue. Caltrans has informed the California Highway Patrol that drivers are illegally driving across the designated turn lanes. Motorists should report unsafe driving incidents to the proper law enforcement authorities.
To help raise driver awareness about the legal turn movements on the northbound Interstate 5/H Street off-ramp, Caltrans plans to install additional signage on both sides of the on-ramp, raise the existing sign panel facing on-ramp motorists to a higher position and refresh the existing lane line extension from the left-turn-only lane to six-inch solid white stripe. The improvements are expected to be completed in early 2018.
