DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
District 11, P.O. Box 85406, San Diego, CA 92186-5406
OVERALL GOALS
THE PROJECT
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is
in the process of installing freeway incident surveillance cameras
on urban freeways throughout San Diego. The cameras will be operated
from the Transportation Management Center (TMC) in Kearny Mesa
and will enable Caltrans and California Highway Patrol crews to
quickly respond to safety hazards or other freeway incidents on
area freeways. From debris in the roadway to multi-vehicle accidents,
the cameras will be used to determine the type of incident and
equipment needed to quickly and safely clear the incident from
the roadway. In San Diego, nearly 100 pivoting cameras are expected
to be constructed on area freeways. Similar systems are already
successfully in use in Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago.
CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE
Five separate projects will construct camera poles and place
fiber-optic cables along San Diego freeways in preparation of
camera installation. Caltrans crews will install cameras after
the poles are constructed.
The first project was completed in May 1999 and constructed four camera poles and placed fiber-optic cables from the Transportation Management Center (TMC) in Kearny Mesa along Interstate 805 to State Route 163, along SR-163 to Washington Street, and on I-8 from SR-163 to Hotel Circle. The project cost $2.5 million to complete.
The second project is currently under construction and will construct seven camera poles, and place fiber-optic cable on I-8 from Hotel Circle to I-5, and on I-5 from I- 8 to Washington. The second project is expected to be completed in February 2000. The project is estimated to cost $1.6 million.
The third project is also under construction, and will construct 13 camera poles and place fiber-optic cable on I-5 from Washington Street to the San Diego-Coronado Bridge (SR-75). The project is expected to be completed in Fall 2000 at an estimated cost of $3.6 million.
The fourth and fifth projects are currently in the design and
planning process. The final number and location of cameras and
fiber optic cable is still being decided on these two projects.
The fourth project is expected to construct six camera poles and
place fiber optic cable on portions of I-5 and SR-94 and is expected
to begin construction in Summer 2000. The fifth project is expected
to construct 28 camera poles and place fiber optic cable on I-15
from I-8 to SR-56 and is scheduled to begin construction in Summer
2001.
