Caltrans says it will have inspectors drive through a section of the finished Fix50 construction project to see if drivers are having trouble with determining where the lanes are late in the early evening.
The sun sets directly into the eyes of drivers who travel west bound on the elevated portion of Highway 50.
The roadway repairs are in an area where three highway routes merge and vehicles often often crisscross lanes to get on their required exits.
“You really can’t see the stripes very well, that’s what makes it confusing for all the drivers. They really have to work on that,” Sylvia Fabella, who has encountered the visibility problem, told FOX40.
Caltrans says the stripes can blend in with the light colored concrete under certain lighting conditions, but they will be easier to see once the concrete becomes darker with age and wear.
Reflectors and boundary dots that cause a car to vibrate when they are crossed were also installed onto the stripes. The agency isn’t convinced that its a problem that has a solution.
“You can’t change the setting sun,” Caltrans spokesperson Dennis Keaton said.
Keaton said there is enough of a concern that the project engineer will conduct drive through inspections during the early evening hours when lighting conditions are bad.
“It’s a specific time, so having someone go out there and see first hand that those conditions exist is the main thing before we act on it,” Keaton said.
But some drivers insist that there is a hazard and something should be done.
“We need something so we don’t get into car accidents on the road and stuff like that,” driver Joe Hernandez said.
