Caltrans is moving forward with a project that will make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street near the Crescent City Harbor.

The project will also widen shoulders and sidewalks, making sure they meet standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, said Caltrans spokesman Myles Cochrane.

“We’ll be constructing sidewalks,” he said. “And that includes ramp and curb transitions there with truncated dome mats that you see at a lot of detectable warning surfaces. We’ll be filling in sidewalk gaps and widening the sidewalk to meet curb design standards.”

There will also be changes to the shoulder delineation, making it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to know where the shoulder is, Cochrane said. Construction is expected to begin fall 2020, Cochrane said.

The project will start near Crescent City Harbor, pass by the S curves near U.S. 101 and Front Street and go beyond Cooper Avenue and the Del Norte County Fairgrounds, said Tamera Leighton, executive director of the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission.

Bringing the sidewalks, shoulders and curbs to ADA standard is mandatory, Leighton said.

Cochrane said the current cost estimate for the Crescent City ADA project is $5.6 million and will be paid for through State Highway Operation and Protection Program dollars.

Meanwhile, the pedestrian crossing will be at milepost marker 25.6 near the hotels on U.S. 101, Cochrane said. It’s in the middle of the block, he said, and will consist of a flashing beacon.

“It’s similar to the HAWK beacon,” he said. “Pedestrians can activate it.”

According to Leighton, there will also be a pedestrian bridge spanning a ditch that leads into the harbor.

In 2015, Caltrans installed a High Intensity Activated Crosswalk north of U.S. 101 and Northcrest Drive following a collision report from 2006 to 2010 showing there were 36 collisions, one of which resulted in a fatality. Four of those collisions, including the fatality, were the result of vehicles hitting pedestrians.

In 2017, the Crescent City Harbor District sent a letter encouraging Caltrans to move forward with traffic calming measures at the south end of the community.

On Friday, Cochrane said any time Caltrans initiates improvements it looks at collision rates, including those that involve pedestrians.

“We value input from the community. Anytime they bring up things they think we should be doing we’ll absolutely consider them,” Cochrane said. “It’s a good mix of the statistics and a good mix of community input on a valuable project for pedestrians and cyclists.”

For more information on local road projects and to comment using the Del Norte Local Transportation’s crowdsourcing tool, visit www.dnltc.org.

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Reach Jessica Cejnar at jessica@wildriversoutpost.com

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