A trip down State Route 78 between Ramona and Julian could take quite a few more minutes this week. The state route will be down to one lane in certain spots as crews clear brush along the side of the road.
“Please be aware of them,” said Shawn Rizzutto, Caltrans District 11’s Division Chief for Maintenance.
“The sincere hope is to provide a safe and sustainable highway system,” he added.
Rizzutto said crews would work between 4th Street in Ramona and Sutherland Dam Road about five miles away. However, he added the entire 78 will still take upwards of three months to complete.
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“It’s really important to get the sides of the roads mowed down because of the wooden poles,” said Ramona resident Ted Nofal.
He pointed out most of the power lines along the stretch of the 78 are still supported by wooden poles. He said a cigarette butt, a spark from a passing car, or a piece of catalytic converter could ignite a brushfire.
Nofal applauded the Caltrans crews for clearing the brush.
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“If we don’t get any further water, we don’t get the humidity, and we get the high winds; everybody needs to stay on high alert and be proactive,” he said. “It’s all safeguarding your property and that’s what a lot of people do out here.”
Caltrans said its crews will clear roughly one mile of the 78's stretch each day.
