FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Caltrans is Increasing Safety on U.S. 6 in Inyo County
BISHOP – Caltrans is making changes to U.S. 6 in Bishop to improve the driver experience and increase safety. On Monday, April 22, Caltrans maintenance crews installed K-Rail through the no-parking zone along the southbound side of U.S. 6 and the westbound shoulder of Wye Road.
Maintenance crews will install more K-Rail along U.S. 6 in the coming weeks as further changes go into effect. Caltrans, in cooperation with the City of Bishop, will remove the temporary portable restrooms and trash cans along U.S. 6 between Wye Road and North Fork Bishop Creek. By removing these facilities, Caltrans is aiming to reduce the amount of illegal dumping that has occurred since they were installed.
Tractor-trailers and other large vehicles are encouraged to use facilities further south in Inyo County that can properly handle truck traffic. This includes the Coso Junction Safety Roadside Rest Area, the TA Express Travel Centers of America truck stop at Coso Junction, and the Division Creek Safety Roadside Rest Area north of Independence.
Further changes are in store that will revitalize the highway and provide more equitable transportation options. Caltrans is currently designing a bike line for the southbound shoulder between North Fork Bishop Creek and Wye Road. The goal is to eventually add bike lanes to both sides of the highway that extend to Dixon Lane.
These improvements are just one example of Caltrans’s commitment toward creating a forward-thinking transportation system that is safer and cleaner for the traveling public.
For those with sensory disabilities requiring alternate formats (i.e. Braille, large print, sign language interpreter, etc.) and those needing information in a language other than English, please contact Bob Gossman at 760-874-8332 or TTY 711.
I don’t think eliminating truck parking is an urgent, or even necessary “safety” feature. The truckers that come into Bishop, both from S/B US 395 & S/B US 6 have traveled a long way before hitting Bishop as a MUCH-NEEDED STOP FOR FOOD & REST–DEFINITELY A SAFETY PRIORITY FOR THEM. There are restaurants nearby, & it is a very necessary safety stop for them! The only safety issue I’ve seen, & I travel Hwy 6 daily, living in Chalfant, are the derelict trailers, RVs, & cars that have used this particular area as their personal space. Those folk do bring an aesthetic that is NOT pleasing to see, with trash & debris all around their personal rigs. I also am not a huge fan of more bike lanes–for who???? I’ve not seen a great number of bicyclists that would necessitate moving out the truckers. Please, please consider the distances that the truckers drive daily, for us that live on the east side of the Sierras. Telling them to wait until they get to Coso Junction raises a serious safety issue for them. When this particular corner/stretch of Hwy 6 was mainly used by truckers, there did not appear to be trash/debris, questionable characters present. I’d say in the last 7-8 years, there’s been an increase in the homeless living out of their vehicles. Maybe Caltrans’ money could be better spent coming up with an area for these folks to park (I know, probably an impossibility, as many of these folks don’t play by the rules or regs). Again, I’m mainly concerned about the safety of the truckers first, not the bicyclists!!!!!