FOLSOM, Calif. — A Folsom community's woes over a worrisome road might be eased later this year.
The city of Folsom said a median barrier along east Natomas/Folsom Lake Crossing is expected to be in the works this year.
ABC10 reached out to the city about potential plans for a center divider in the area after a deadly crash claimed the lives of three people Tuesday.
Police said the two-car crash happened after one of the cars went across the center line and hit the other. Police have not said why the driver crossed the center line.
For 20-year Folsom resident Steve Heard, it's not the first time he's seen a tragedy like this happen.
"I remember three people in a head-on (crash) in 2016. I remember someone, a solo crash, against that went across the roadway, oh, maybe a year or two later," Heard said.
Despite being an avid, bicyclist, walker and jogger, Heard said he gets uneasy while near this road. He said the area is prone to high speeds and, with the wide lanes, he's worried that it is too easy for people to hurry through the area, get distracted and cross the center line.
"When you're on foot on the bike trail, you should be walking or jogging on the left. I jog on the right when I'm on that section because I don't know if another five feet of seeing a car coming at me is going to allow me enough time to get out of the way. But I do not jog along that (guard) rail," he said.
He wanted to see the city come up with a solution to make the roadway safer, like a center divider.
“I think that's what we need,” Heard said.
The city of Folsom told ABC10 in a statement that they were awarded funding in 2021 to install a median barrier on east Natoma/Folsom Lake Cross as an additional safety measure for the road. The city expects work on the barrier will start this year.
For the full statement from the City of Folsom, view below.
We as a City of Folsom family are all deeply saddened by this tragic accident. The accident is still under investigation and we don’t yet know the cause. Traffic accidents occur for many reasons (unfortunately, in many cases, due to violations of the Vehicle Code). With regard to future median barriers on East Natoma/Folsom Lake Crossing, there are grants available from time to time to add additional traffic safety measures to roadways that were constructed in compliance with safety standards . The City applied for, and was awarded, a grant in 2019 to prepare a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP). Following preparation of the LRSP, the City applied for, and was awarded, Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding in 2021 for use to install median barrier on East Natoma/Folsom Lake Crossing as an additional traffic safety measure. The City anticipates work for the median barriers will start this year.
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