Off-roaders' persistence delays road closure

By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer | Tuesday, November 21, 2006 1:21 AM PST ∞

Who says you can't fight city hall?

The off-road community in northern San Diego and southern Riverside counties has proven that one in fact can fight city hall -- or at least Caltrans.

In the space of a few days, the California Department of Transportation put out a press release announcing the closure of Highway 78 in the desert east of Julian that was to begin last week, then fired off another one saying the closure had been postponed.

Not only that, Caltrans is aiming to finish the work that is triggering the closure -- the reconstruction of a six-decade-old bridge over San Felipe Creek -- in half the time, or one month instead of two.

"The contractor now will be working 24 hours a day to make that one-month deadline," said Edward Cartagena, a spokesman for Caltrans in San Diego.

Here's what happened: Within those few days, Caltrans was besieged with more than 500 telephone calls and 100 e-mail notes, most from the off-road crowd and all urging the agency to delay the project, Cartagena said. Motorcycle and all-terrain-vehicle enthusiasts said the closure would have struck during the busiest riding season of the year, including Thanksgiving weekend.

Cartagena said those who called and e-mailed stressed it would have been extremely difficult for trailers toting a load of motorcycles to negotiate the steep and winding road targeted for the detour in the rugged hills west of Borrego Springs. To get around 7 miles of closed highway, Caltrans proposed sending motorists northwest from Scissors Crossing along S2 (San Felipe Road), east on S22 (Montezuma Valley Road) and south on S3 (Borrego Springs and Yaqui Pass roads) -- a distance of 45 miles.

Off-roaders still will have to put up with that unattractive alternate route, but not until Jan. 3.

In fairness to Caltrans, the agency is in a no-win situation.

Highway workers are trying to avoid tackling the eastern San Diego County project in the blistering summer heat. Hey, you try working with hot asphalt when it's 120 degrees outside. And they must finish before the spring bird nesting season to avoid getting into hot water with wildlife agencies.

There's another wrinkle, too. If workers don't finish by early February, they risk the wrath of the hundreds of thousands who trek through the corridor in late winter to see Anza-Borrego Desert State Park's breathtaking wildflower display.

"It's a delicate balancing act," Cartagena said.

It is delicate indeed. Let's hope Caltrans finishes on time.

-- Readers are encouraged to ask questions and submit ideas for commuter columns. Staff writer Dave Downey may be reached at (760) 740-5442 or ddowney@nctimes.com.

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