Motorists gearing up to head out of town for the long Labor Day
weekend should also prepare for the congestion expected at the
intersection of Highways 152 and 156.
Hollister – Motorists gearing up to head out of town for the long Labor Day weekend should also prepare for the congestion expected at the intersection of Highways 152 and 156.
More than 4.9 million Californians are expected to travel this weekend despite record-shattering gas prices, according to AAA, and more than 3.8 million of them will be traveling in motor vehicles – up 1.9 percent from last year.
In this area, the 152/156 interchange is always a headache for travelers. Drivers heading east on 152 often stop to allow left-hand turns by motorists from westbound 152 onto 156 toward Hollister, although there is no stop sign. Eastbound traffic then backs up and slows to a crawl for the 13 miles between Gilroy and the interchange.
The California Highway Patrol has directed traffic at the interchange in the past, but has nothing planned for this weekend, officer Chris Armstrong said. Drivers tend to slow down to look when they see police cars, he said.
“It’s a lose-lose situation,” he said. “We have tried everything we could come up with. Rather than alleviate the problem, our efforts have only aggravated the problem. Instead of making traffic move more smoothly, traffic continues to build up. If anything, it travels slower.”
Holding back eastbound traffic to make way for left-hand turns onto 156 is not an option, he said.
“All that would do is bring traffic all the way onto Highway 101 into Gilroy. Rather than help out, it would increase wait time,” Armstrong said. “My recommendation is to find an alternate route, carpool and plan a little extra time into your travel.”
While the CHP is expecting a busy weekend on the highways, the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department and Hollister Police Department won’t be putting any extra officers on the street over the holiday. However, officers are keenly aware that the holiday weekend could result in more alcohol-related incidents and calls for service, said Hollister Police spokesman George Ramirez.
“We will be on high alert, though no extra personnel because of (short) staffing issues,” Ramirez said. “There’s always a potential for higher activity on a long holiday weekend, but we don’t have any extra patrol officers.”
But the CHP will be stepping up patrols as heavy travel is expected between Friday morning and Monday night, putting 80 percent of its officers on the road to target drunk drivers, speeders and those who forget to buckle-up.
“Most drivers will be observing the traffic laws, but for those who don’t, the CHP will be out there in force to issue citations and take impaired drivers to jail,” said Capt. Otto Knorr, commander of the CHP’s Hollister/Gilroy office.
Two people were killed in separate crashes on U.S. Highway 101 just north of Gilroy last Labor Day weekend, and 53 people were killed in crashes statewide. Officers in the Avoid the 13 campaign arrested 147 drunken drivers last year, but there were still 11 alcohol-related injury crashes on local roads.
Staff writer Erin Musgrave contributed to this report.
