The road rage began last year when Caltrans began widening California 138, a main east-west route in Southern California’s fast-growing high desert region. Motorists angry at construction delays threatened road workers and damaged equipment. Two workers were hit by cars and a third was shot with a BB gun. Someone threw a burrito at flagmen. One motorist threatened to climb a water tower and shoot workers with a rifle. Now in an unprecedented response to ill will, Caltrans will close a portion of the highway beginning Monday to complete the project, reports the Los Angeles Times.
California 138 connects two of Southern California’s fastest-growing areas – the Antelope Valley communities of Palmdale and Lancaster and Inland Empire’s high desert region. But the rural highway has become a major commuter route, and that has caused problems. “This is growing pains,” said Dennis Green, a Caltrans consultant on the $44-million widening project. “People here are not used to having congestion like they had in Los Angeles. It’s here now, and they’re having to learn how to cope with it.”
Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-roadrage7jun07,0,6659425.story?coll=la-home-local