Caltrans to explore flexible bollards for US 199 at Gaski; Hayuchi may need broader community plan

Caltrans staff and local commissioners discussed a low‑cost pilot used elsewhere that places flexible plastic posts in the two‑way center turn lane to stop motorists using it as a passing lane while preserving turning movements.

A staff member who attended a recent pilot in Orick described the devices and suggested they might work for nearby Gaski and Hyuchi communities on U.S. Highway 199. Caltrans staff said the posts are flexible, designed to bend if struck, and intended for quick “toolbox” deployment paired with signing and striping.

District staff said Orick’s pilot was funded through a Sustainable Transportation Planning grant and that other quick‑build projects in the district will use the same device. Caltrans staff recommended Gaski as a promising candidate for installation because the highway there is more constrained; Hyuchi has very wide shoulders, mixed parking, frequent U‑turns and pedestrian activity and may need a community‑driven integrated plan rather than a simple center‑lane device.

Staff offered to attend local community meetings in Gaski, to present the solution, and to check emergency‑vehicle access before installation. Commissioners supported Caltrans investigating bollards for Gaski and asked staff to revisit Hyuchi with community input and with the district’s active‑transportation plan update.