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Caltrans presents narrower '5‑11H' bridge rail option as Highway 1 speed limits are set to drop
Summary
Caltrans staff told the Monterey County collaborative they are studying a narrower, historically styled bridge rail (the '5‑11H') that could be allowable now that engineering speed surveys show lower driving speeds on parts of Highway 1; county public hearings and Coastal Development Permit processes remain prerequisites to any installation.
Caltrans staff on Thursday described a potential shift from the heavy, crash‑tested “86H” bridge rail toward a narrower, visually lighter alternative known in presentation material as the “5‑11H,” and said a recent speed‑zone study opened that option by supporting lower posted limits in the corridor.
The agency presented the 5‑11H as a rail with narrower baluster widths and a slimmer profile that preserves larger visual openings. Scott Smith, Caltrans office chief for environmental work on capital projects, described the 86H as “designed as what they call a test level 4 railing” intended for higher‑speed highways, and said the 5‑11H is a lower test level railing that “was already crash tested in Texas.”
Caltrans staff said engineering speed‑zone surveys covering Coast Road…
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