Los Angeles County plans to widen Sierra Highway

Tag : Be Stretch
Los Angeles County plans to widen Sierra Highway betweenthe Antelope Valley Freeway and Pearblossom Highway - a milelongstretch on which at least three people have died in crashes since2001 and which was at the heart of a lawsuit that cost the county a$1.75 million settlement.
County supervisors Tuesday accepted an environmental impact reporton the proposed widening project and authorized the Department ofPublic Works to go ahead with its plans - although work will notstart for two more years, Public Works spokeswoman Kathy Salamasaid.
Department of Public Works will widen the roadway to add a 12-footcenter median lane and 10-foot paved shoulders on both sides andwill realign curves along the section.
Those changes are designed to address problems that have led tonumerous fatal and injury accidents along the short stretch ofhighway. Many of the accidents have been caused by motoristdrifting into oncoming traffic lanes.
In December 2001, Rouvenie and Rodel Robianies were driving northon Sierra Highway when a southbound vehicle crossed the center lineon a curve and collided head-on with their car.
Rouvenie Robianes suffered two broken legs and a cervial spinefracture, while her husband suffered chest injuries and neededheart surgery. The vehicle's driver, Acton resident Gary Plyley,died.
The Robianeses sued Los Angeles County, saying the road did nothave a speed limit posted, was not lighted and lacked safetyfeatures such as a median guardrail.
The county awarded a $1.75 million settlement to the couple. A memofrom the county counsel's office said: "Although we believe thatthe traffic controls at the incident location were reasonable andappropriate, a jury could find that additional measures were neededto safeguard motorists driving through this curve."
Another driver died in January 2004 along the same stretch when apickup drifted across the center line and hit his sedan.
Most recently, a woman
was killed along that stretch in February when her vehicle and abig rig collided west of the intersection of Sierra and Pearblossomhighways.