Somehow, a major interstate that has been on the drawing board for 60 years now won't be really finished when it's finished, according to San Bernardino County's transportation agency.

Come to find out, when the 210 Freeway fully opens later this year, and the extension to Highway 30 in San Bernardino is finally finished (at a still undetermined date), access to and from another major artery running through the region will be severely limited - making the 210 less than the lifesaver for commuters it should have been.

But don't fret. San Bernardino Associated Governments, or Sanbag, reassures the public that the opening of the long-awaited interstate won't be delayed. You can count on that.

It's just that two major connectors between I-210 and Interstate 215, which would have stood to make the lives of motorists that much easier because of uninterrupted travel, won't be ready for yet another 3<MD+,%30,%55,%70>1/<MD-,%0,%55,%70>2 to four years.

A geologist who was working in the area after the contract to build the freeway was awarded back in late 1999 or early 2000 just happened to notice a major problem that could, er, radically shake up freeway construction plans.

Seems two presumably well-known earthquake faults, the San Andreas and San Jacinto, which have been in existence since long before the freeway was a sparkle in some engineer's eyes, might someday pose the danger of a fault rupture to any large piece of concrete in their vicinity.

"If the geologist hadn't seen it," said Sanbag's director of freeway construction, Darren Kettle, "(the freeway) might have been built like that."

So now, the agency has set about redesigning the elevated "flyovers" to compensate.

Thank heaven for accidents of mercy. But we would have thought that that, er, connection would have been made before then.

"The San Andreas Fault and San Jacinto Fault being so close to the freeway and the nature of the soils means those elevated columns would need to be designed to withstand the seismic problem that could be produced by those two faults," Kettle said.

Such major brainstorms can be awesome, when they come with the requisite amount of foresight. But in this case, it's more like shock, and after-shock.

While we're glad that extra precautions are being taken now that the potential danger has been noted, how is it that no one took into account the existence of the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults long before now - at least, in time to mitigate for the 210's final grand opening?

As it is, when the 210 officially opens later this fall, it will not be possible to go directly from the 210 east to the 215 Freeway south, nor will it be possible to go from the northbound 215 to the westbound 210.

Get ready for the delays.

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BS Ranch Perspective:

You know this whole thing about the bridges cracking is something that PISSES ME OFF!!!!!!

I believe that this shabby construction was done on purpose to make it so that the construction company could have the freeway open on time, and get any bonuses that would be due to them for the Freeway opening on time, However they didn't this Hap Hazard Job, Making so that they could say......OOOOPS!!! WE are going to need more money to fix the problem!!! It is either that or!! YOU HAVE YOUR MEN COME IN, the middle of the middle of the RUSH HOUR, CLOSING DOWN LANES TO FIX WHAT YOU DIDN'T DO RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!

Of coarse the fix is not as good as the if it was put up right the first place!! Collecting the money for the same job twice, I like this!! great!

BS Ranch