It’s one of those stories everyone in town can relate to because pretty much everyone in San Benito County at some point has to drive on Highway 25 through the narrow, two-lane construction zone at the intersection of San Felipe Road.
Two recent crashes near the bypass construction – including one at San Felipe Road – have confirmed the seemingly dangerous stretch creates a hazard. Even the safest of drivers are at a higher risk because of others around them who aren’t so careful.
When it’s finished, the much- and long-needed bypass project will greatly benefit San Benito County by providing a smoother flow for drivers and less congestion downtown where leaders hope to establish a more lively shopping district. So this isn’t a question of whether the work being done at that intersection and at other areas of bypass construction is necessary.
Still, that stretch in particular poses a higher risk than it did before the construction started – which is inevitable in many cases where road work must be done. What we can do as a community – and what the Council of San Benito County Governments has an obligation to do – is minimize that risk to which drivers are subjected.
Everyone, then, has a part in making the roads safer during this transition period.
COG can do more by improving the signage before, after and during that portion of the highway. Drivers can do better by maintaining a higher sense of awareness while passing through and having patience – and by obeying the 25 mph speed limit in that zone. And law enforcement can do more by enhancing patrol presence on the highway.
One driver approached by reporter Michael Van Cassell for the Wednesday Free Lance story was Jose De Avila, a 17-year-old San Benito High School student who said he had accidentally drifted into oncoming traffic near the bypass at night.
“It’s kind of weird because you have the oncoming traffic,” De Avila said. “It’s just confusing.”
That’s scary, yet not surprising.
Carlos Chavez, 31, of Hollister, suggested the lanes could use brighter paint to help visibility.
It’s a great idea, especially for countless drivers using Highway 25 who aren’t as familiar with the construction as the rest of us.
With that in mind, COG should also examine the stretch and see if there are some areas on each side of the construction where other, more prominent signs can be placed.
Improving awareness is the key here, and it’s probably the best deterrent to tragedy.
