[SDCBC] SR56-Sorrento Valley Road connector

[Wade Blomgren]

To me it hinges on how vulnerable the undercrossing would be to
extended closure from flooding.  I assume the bridge option will be
much more expensive.

Since either solution is probably many dollars and years from actually
being implemented (along those lines, how long is it going to take
Caltrans to restore the 50 meters of asphalt at the north end of SVR
to make that section all-weather and less sketchy on narrow
tires????....that's got to be going on 10 years or more now ), it
seems to me lobbying for some relatively dirt cheap improvements to
the current bike path terminus would make a lot of sense.

A curb cut and some asphalt on the east side of ECR would accommodate
entry from and exit to southbound ECR, and repaving of the ragged
existing ramp (there's already a curb cut), and ideally, some
realignment as to pitch and switchback angle of the ramp on the west
side would improve that transition.  As I'm sure Serge would agree,
it's not all that hard to get to SVR from there via El Camino Real and
Carmel Valley Road.  Or, if you're ultimately headed south through
Sorrento Valley, it's not that big a deal to just go on up ECR and
turn right on Carmel Mountain, probably less arduous than a 7.7%
bridge, and if you're going the other way (out Carmel Valley road to
the beach), the 50 yards going past the park&ride you'd get on SVR
isn't of much additional use compared to the aforementioned taking of
ECR direct to Carmel Valley Road.   I realize the roadway transitions
aren't necessarily practical for, say, kids on training wheels, but at
this point SVR itself isn't much of a destination unless you're headed
for a tour of the sewer pump station.

I would hope that such obvious and inexpensive improvement to the
current transitions wouldn't impede further consideration of extending
the class 1 facility, but frankly even if it does I think it's worth
it - those transitions are needed regardless of how they decide to
deal with the freeway.

Wade

On 8/29/07, Kathy Keehan <execdir at sdcbc.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Your input needed!
>
> We've been asked to provide comments for a feasibility study for the
> connection between the west end of the 56 bike path and Sorrento Valley
> Road. As many of you know, there's a giant freeway in the way there, and the
> City and Caltrans are looking for ways to get bicyclists across.
>
> There are a couple of options, basically one over the freeway and one under
> it. Which do you like better?
>
> The bridge would be your typical 12 foot wide bike/ped bridge over the
> freeway. It would be about 17 feet above the traffic at a minimum, and would
> have 6.5% and 7.7% grades for the approaches (200 to 400 feet long depending
> on the design), and 90 degree turns at each end of the bridge.
>
> The undercrossing would go under I-5, with a minimum vertical clearance of 8
> foot 3 inches. There will be concerns about water (particularly in wet
> years), lighting, and security. The grades down to the undercrossing would
> be about 7.5% for a couple hundred feet, then up at about 3% for about 80
> feet. It will have a fairly sharp turn on the west side of the freeway to
> connect to existing Sorrento Valley Road.
>
> Bridge – less potential maintenance, open even in wet weather, uphill both
> ways, over noisy auto traffic/fumes
>
> Undercrossing – downhill both ways, quieter, more potential maintenance,
> potential to be closed in wet weather
>
> Which do you prefer?
>
> Kathy
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------
>
> Kathy Keehan
>
> Executive Director
>
> San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
>
> P.O. Box 34544
>
> San Diego, CA 92163
>
> 858.487.6063
>
> execdir at sdcbc.org
>
> www.sdcbc.org
>
>
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