CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Telegraph Canyon Road in Chula Vista will undergo major safety improvements this fall following a series of deadly crashes that have claimed eight lives since 2020.
The City has already gotten a head start. Recently, the traffic engineering and public works teams installed new signs, striping, and delineators to modify the raised median on Telegraph Canyon Rd. The changes prohibit left turns on the old Telegraph Canyon Road onto Telegraph Canyon Road while keeping all other previously allowed movements in place.
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann said the purpose of the improvements is to reduce the hazardous turning movements and improve safety overall for the intersection.
In addition, McCann said a city capital improvement project has been awarded to make permanent changes to the intersection at Telegraph Canyon Rd and Old Telegraph Canyon Rd.
The project will permanently modify the raised median at the old Telegraph Canyon Road, add dedicated eastbound to westbound U-turn pockets at Telegraph Canyon Road on Medical Center Drive, creating a safe, protected alternative for drivers wishing to go westbound towards the 805.
McCann said the changes are urgently needed as the city continues its rapid growth. The issue is deeply personal for McCann, who was severely injured years ago while making a left turn off Old Telegraph Canyon Road when he was T-boned by a driver going 87 mph.
"I was in a coma for almost two weeks, in the hospital for a couple of months, and then in rehabilitation for several months after that," McCann said. "It really takes a toll on the family. We had a traumatic brain injury."
McCann said the 50 mph speed limit on the six-lane thoroughfare often leads to dangerous driving conditions, particularly for vehicles making turns.
According to the Chula Vista Police Department, there have been 365 crashes on Telegraph Canyon Road since 2020, resulting in 17 severe injuries, and eight fatalities.
Those numbers include a recent crash in August that killed two people and injured two others. McCann said it struck at the heart of the community.
The new safety improvements couldn't come soon enough for businesses on Telegraph Canyon Rd, including an Obstentics and OBGYN practice owned by Dr. Rick Chac.
Chac's office sits along the dangerous stretch and has witnessed the road's dangers firsthand since opening his practice in 2019.
"In that short amount of time, we've seen quite a few accidents, especially cars that are trying to make a left turn," Chac said. "We see it, we hear it at least a couple of times a year, and the police are coming asking to see our surveillance footage," Chac said.
Many of Chac's patients are often pregnant women with small children, and Chac said he often hears feedback from them of having difficulty getting to his office.
Construction is expected to begin this fall and wrap up by the end of the year.
Beyond Telegraph Canyon Road, the City will also study Otay Lakes Road, examining crash history, site visibility, traffic volume, roadway conditions, and more.
McCann said the City has already budgeted $100,000 for Telegraph Canyon Rd and Otay Lakes Rd studies.
