Crews Install Dividers Along Gilman Springs Corridor For Safety

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Traffic dividers are going up along Gilman Springs Road between Moreno Valley and San Jacinto to prevent motorists from attempting to illegally pass other drivers, creating potentially deadly risks.

"We are always looking for ways to improve the safety on all of our roadways, and this project is part of that process," said Patty Romo, director of the Riverside County Department of Transportation. "This is an innovative way to improve safety, and it can be completed in a relatively short period of time."

The $150,000 barrier project is slated to conclude by the end of this month, Romo said. It is a companion project to a $4.69 million resurfacing enterprise that began on Gilman Springs in early June.

Most of the work is occurring during the overnight hours, requiring closures along the route.

According to Romo, the dividers are upright yellow plastic reflecting devices that stand over 2 feet high and are being situated along the double- yellow line that covers a nine-mile stretch of the roughly 20-mile two-lane artery.

The dividers are being placed 50 feet apart in most locations. However, along tight curves, they will be only 25 feet apart, Romo said.

"These improvements to Gilman Springs Road will go a long way to improving safety," she said.

In May, a 48-year-old Moreno Valley woman was killed when a motorist illegally crossed two sets of double yellow lines on Gilman Springs to pass a slower vehicle, slamming head-on into the victim's sedan.

The offending motorist was seriously injured but was expected to fully recover.

— City News Service contributed to this report