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Driver finds out why road is closed the hard way
END OF THE ROAD . . .
kasson road
Photo courtesy of the California Highway Patrol A man inspects a crash on Kasson Road on Thursday where a vehicle drove into a massive hole caused by the recent storms. The driver, who is not pictured, drove around barricades to access the section of road that was washed away on Jan. 17. The crash site is 10 miles southwest of Manteca

One driver on Kasson Road found out the hard way on Thursday why you don’t drive around road closure signs.

According to the Tracy office of the California Highway Patrol, an unidentified driver ignored the barricades on Kasson Road – where water eroded the dirt beneath the roadway during the series of storms that battered California which caused the roadway to collapse – and crashed their vehicle into the hole.

It ended up resting on a ledge in the gully some six feet below where the pavement once was.

The airbags to the vehicle deployed, according to the pictures posted by the agency announcing the incident. Authorities did not mention any injuries to the driver of the vehicle.

“We’re at a loss for words. If only there were signs and/or barriers that could have prevented this,” the Tracy CHP said in the statement. “Road closed signs and barricades are strategically placed for your safety.

“DO NOT drive past a road closure.”

Last week the agency announced that Kasson Road between Durham Ferry Road and the entrance to the San Joaquin River Club would be closed indefinitely following the roadway collapse. The damage which occurred after water from a nearby holding pond eroded beneath the roadway during the heavy rains.

A similar incident occurred on McArthur Boulevard in rural Tracy, and that roadway remains closed.

Since the roadway washed out, San Joaquin River Club residents have been dealing with motorists that have repeatedly ignored warning sings advising them that there was no outlet from Kason Road to Durham Ferry Road/Airport Way despite what GPS devices are telling them.

Kasson Road in recent years has become a short cut for those from Modesto, Manteca and Ripon who work in the heavy concentration of distribution centers that feature firms such as amazon that are located on Tracy’s east side.

It allows them to avoid congestion on the 120 Bypass and Interstate 205.

 Because Kasson Road serves as a major route for commuters between San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, the CHP provided alternate routes on social media for drivers who need to bypass Kasson Road for the time being:

*From I-5 drivers can take the SR-33 exit and go south on SR-33 to Durham Ferry Road. Drivers can then turn easy on Durham Ferry Road.

*From Tracy drivers can go south on Bird Road to Durham Ferry Road where they can head east.

*From Highway 132 drivers can take the Bird Road exit and go north on Bird Road to Durham Ferry Road where they can head east.

Anybody with questions about the detour routes can contact the CHP-Tracy office at 209.835.8920 from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

 

 

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.