Some room for improvement: Caltrans moves forward with 'safety' changes to SR-99 and Oswald intersection

Mar. 27—The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced late last week that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved $1.1 billion in funding that includes the planning and development of a "safety improvement project" at the intersection of State Route 99 and Oswald Road in Yuba City.

According to Caltrans, $2.8 million was allocated for the plan, which has been developed in coordination with Sutter County. As previously identified by county officials, the SR-99 and Oswald intersection has been a continued cause of concern for area residents.

"In recent years, the Development Services Department has processed a number of projects to develop commercial truck terminals along Oswald Road from State Route 99 to Railroad Avenue in Yuba City," Neal Hay, director of Development Services for Sutter County said in a January staff report. "As the operations have come online and the percentage of heavy truck traffic in the area has noticeably increased, the Department has received complaints from area residents. Additionally, the number of accidents involving heavy-duty trucks has increased, as has the number of reported close calls."

On March 19, a 30-year-old man from Westwood died after his Toyota pickup truck was "wedged underneath" the trailer of a semi truck that was reportedly turning left as the man was attempting to travel through the intersection.

According to an accident report from the Yuba-Sutter area California Highway Patrol, 36-year-old Sandeep Kumar of Stockton was driving a 2023 Freightliner semi truck with a 53-foot box trailer and was stopped at the "limit line" of Oswald at SR-99. At about the same time, 30-year-old Steven Tadeo of Westwood was driving a 2023 Toyota Tacoma north on SR-99 in the No. 1 lane at about 65 mph, approaching the Oswald Road intersection, officials previously said.

According to the CHP report, Kumar accelerated to make a left turn across SR-99, "directly into the path of the northbound Toyota." As a result, Tadeo's Toyota "impacted the landing gear on (the) left side of the trailer and became wedged underneath the trailer," the CHP report said.

Tadeo was reportedly killed instantly as a result of the crash and Kumar called 911 and remained on the scene, the CHP previously said. Officials said drugs or alcohol are not considered to be a factor in the collision.

From information previously available to the Appeal, a total of 72 traffic collisions have been recorded between S. Walton Avenue, Franklin Road and Oswald Road between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2021. Of these crashes, 10 were a result of DUIs involving alcohol or drugs. Out of the total collisions from this time frame, three resulted in a fatality and 62 caused minor to visible injuries, the Appeal previously reported.

According to Sutter County Public Information Officer Chuck Smith, improvements at the SR-99 and Oswald intersection have been a focus of the Sutter County Board of Supervisors since October 2018 when the board awarded a contract to a transportation consultant to study the intersection and identify improvement alternatives.

"Alternatives studied included (from least expensive to most expensive) a traffic signal, a roundabout, and an overcrossing," Smith said in an email to the Appeal on Monday. "An overcrossing would be tens of millions of dollars; a roundabout was initially estimated at about $12 million, and the traffic signal project is envisioned at $2.7 million. The community was asked to weigh in on the alternatives."

Smith said the roundabout option was very controversial, despite several national and worldwide traffic studies that have shown that roundabouts are typically the safest option. The U.S. Department of Transportation states that roundabouts are a "Proven Safety Countermeasure because of their ability to substantially reduce the types of crashes that result in injury or loss of life. Roundabouts are designed to improve safety for all users, including pedestrians and bicycles. They also provide significant operational benefits compared to conventional intersections."

According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, "0n average, roundabouts reduce severe crashes — those resulting in injury or loss of life — by 78-82%."

The U.S. Department of Transportation said roundabouts can: — Improve safetyPromote lower speeds and traffic calming — Reduce conflict points — Lead to improved operational performance — Meet a wide range of traffic conditions because they are versatile in size, shape, and design

Smith said since October 2018, Sutter County and Caltrans have been "working cooperatively to prepare the required documents and study the improvement alternatives."

On Jan. 10, the Sutter County Board of Supervisors "adopted the Project Report and the CEQA document ... that identified a traffic signal as the preferred alternative."

Smith confirmed that the project will now be managed by Caltrans District 3 as it prepares construction documents. He said work on the Oswald at SR-99 intersection is scheduled to begin in 2025 or 2026. Smith said Caltrans is responsible for managing the project because it is a state highway.

The $2.8 million allocated to Caltrans is part of $1.1 billion allocated to other projects throughout the state to help repair and improve transportation infrastructure. Caltrans said that allocation includes more than $533 million in funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and more than $190 million in funding from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

"California and our federal partners are taking action now to create a safer, more resilient, and more equitable transportation future for all Californians," Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said in a statement. "These visionary infrastructure investments are giving Caltrans the tools it needs to rebuild California."

Other statewide projects the CTC recently approved in the Sacramento Valley and Sierra regions include: — City of Chico: $6.2 million in federal IIJA funding for the Esplanade Corridor Safety and Accessibility Improvement Project. The project calls for installing a multi-use pathway, 12,400 feet of Class III bike lanes, 3,200 feet of new sidewalk, new bike boxes, lighting at intersections, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramp improvements, countdown pedestrian crossing signals, refuge islands, a new traffic signal and lighting. — State Route 32 west of Chico: $3.4 million in federal IIJA funding to install a traffic signal at Meridian Road. The Butte County Association of Governments is contributing $500,000 in IIJA funding. — State Route 32 west of Chico: $19.9 million, which includes $17.9 million in federal IIJA funding, to install lighting, widen shoulders, upgrade approaches to bridges and rehabilitate culverts from Gianella Road to Muir Avenue. — State Route 162 in Oroville: $3.4 million in federal IIJA funding to implement a comprehensive set of active transportation infrastructure connectivity and safety improvements that will close all sidewalk, bike lane, street lighting and multi-use trail gaps along the route in the city. — Interstate 5 in Sacramento County: $33.6 million, which includes $30.8 million in federal IIJA funding, to construct acceleration and deceleration merge lanes and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure from the Arena Blvd interchange to 0.4 mile south of Yolo County line. — City of Roseville: $4.3 million in federal IIJA funding for the Dry Creek Multi-Use Trail Project, which calls for constructing a Class I multi-use trail, 490 feet of sidewalk and a parking lot and restroom at the trailhead, widening 150 feet of sidewalk, installing bike racks, benches and trash cans and improving ADA ramps. — Sierra County: $200,000 in federal IIJA funding for roadway and bike lane improvements on Smithneck Road near Loyalton. — City of Placerville: $1.2 million in federal IIJA funding for bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements on Placerville Drive. The project will install 2,080 feet of Class II bike lanes, 10,200 feet of Class IV bike lanes, construct 9,850 feet of new sidewalk, enhance existing sidewalks, upgrade curb ramps, and install seven crosswalks and two rectangular rapid flashing beacons. — Sacramento County: $3.2 million in state funding for roadway and safety improvements between Marconi Avenue and Howe Avenue.

For more information about California transportation projects funded by the IIJA and

SB 1, visit RebuildingCA.ca.gov.