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I-15 project designed to ease corridor''s traffic woes: solution may create its own congestion. (Transportation).

Article Excerpt
For those stuck in San Diego's nightmare traffic congestion two weeks ago, there's hope.

Construction on Interstate 15 could, in the future, provide a safety valve to reduce gridlock in case the county faces a repeat of the nightmarish congestion of May 14. On that day, a crane accident blocked two of the three major north-south routes -- Interstates 5 and 805 -- during the morning commute, causing massive gridlock that spread to other major routes throughout San Diego.

The current construction along I-15 was designed to reduce congestion and increase capacity to ease the daily commute. But the project could play also role in reducing that gridlock, said Pedro Orso-Delgado, district director of the California Department of Transportation.

I-15, heavily congested during peak periods, carries 272,000 vehicles a day -- the majority of which are commuters between San Diego and the bedroom communities along the corridor. Several ongoing projects, being built at a cost of about $500 million, will help increase capacity and reduce congestion along 1-15, Orso-Delgado said.

The...