Politics & Government

Caltrans Wades Through PR Crisis; Lake Elsinore City Councilman Critical

In yet another letter to the public dated Feb. 23, Caltrans District 8 Raymond Wolfe wrote that he wanted to "extend my personal apologies to the public at large."

Lake Elsinore City Councilman Bob Magee was asked what his first piece of legislation would be if elected to the 67th State Assembly District seat.

Magee responded that it would be to introduce a bill to eliminate Caltrans.

“It’s a 14,000-person bureaucracy,” Magee said, adding that California’s roads and bridges need to be built, but “Caltrans is in the way.”

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Magee’s remarks came just days after the agency that stretched from Banning to the Coachella Valley. The backup was caused by unannounced repairs that forced closure of the freeway’s westbound lanes.

Magee cited the snarl to make his case, but he has long been publicly critical of Caltrans and has blasted the agency for

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Whether Magee’s tough criticisms of Caltrans are justified may be a matter of opinion, but the agency is certainly on the defense of its handling of the Feb. 12 jam up.

In yet another letter to the public dated Feb. 23, Caltrans District 8 Raymond Wolfe wrote that he wanted to "extend my personal apologies to the public at large."

In the days following the backup, Wolfe called the unfortunate incident

In the Feb. 23 letter he wrote, "I certainly hope that the inappropriate actions of a few of my staff, in this one instance, have not erased years of effort to create an open transparent organization. The delays many of you suffered were avoidable.

"You have my personal commitment, and that of the Department, that we will do everything possible to regain your confidence and continue to foster open communication and harmonious relations. As I have stated repeatedly, we have taken actions to ensure this will not be repeated," he continued.

Caltrans has explained that on Feb. 12, westbound I-10 lanes near Banning had been scheduled to be closed for pavement repair from 10 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. However, according to Caltrans, a problem at a concrete plant resulted "in the continued closure of lanes outside the work schedule.

"The concrete being utilized to make the repairs requires four to five hours to cure before traffic can be permitted to drive on it. A breakdown at the nearby batch plant contributed to delays in completing project and reopening lanes before the work schedule ended at 7 a.m.," a Caltrans statement said.

"Unfortunately, the various slabs targeted for replacement had been removed and prepared for the material before the break down at the batch plant occurred, the statement said.

Motorists "expressed concern" when they did not see activity in the construction zone, according to Caltrans.

"The crews were awaiting the delivery of the material to finish the work and then for the new pavement to set," the statement said.

Wolfe issued a first apology for the traffic snarl on Feb. 13. That statement said that the department is "investigating the events that led up to the incident and again extends our sincerest apologies to all who were involved, especially the motorists who were forced to endure the lengthy backup."

In an effort to provide the public with some reassurances, Caltrans spokeswoman Shelli Lombardo said Wolfe will attend a public forum on March 8 at 5 p.m. at the Rancho Mirage Public Library, 71-100 Highway 111.

A few closures are planned in the Coachella Valley and Banning area next week.

Full I-10 closures are planned from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday at Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City for work on the overpass bridge. Eastbound I-10 will be closed on Monday and westbound I-10 on Tuesday. Traffic will be diverted to the on and off ramps, Riverside County Transportation Department spokesman Dennis Green said. The shoulder of westbound I-10 will be closed through March 23 between Date Palm and Ramon Road while workers install an irrigation system, according to Caltrans.

Alternating lanes will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday on westbound I-10 and on and off ramps between Hargrave Street and Sunset Avenue in Banning. Lanes will be closed for slab replacement and grooving work, Caltrans spokeswoman Michelle Profant said.

Alternating lanes on I-10 near Chiriaco Summit will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for guardrail work, according to Caltrans.


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