The original plans called for a different type of railing, but Caltrans managers preferred K-rail, portable barriers that could be moved quickly under deadline constraints, records show.

In 2001, Caltrans launched a $400-million effort to repave the Long Beach Freeway and replace the wood-and-metal median barriers with Jersey barriers. The project won’t be completed until 2007.

Caltrans crews had just finished installing a new type of barrier between the north- and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 in Arcata when the cable median barrier got its first test.Caltrans Dis… ...

Work began last week on the installation of a seamless concrete barrier on both sides of the Interstate 5 median between Mission Bay and Nobel Drive, according to Caltrans spokesman Edward Cartagen… ...

to 1 p.m. for median barrier replacement work. There also are scheduled lane closures on Eastbound and Westbound SR-37 on Monday from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m. the next morning.

Caltrans has developed a protective road barrier — nicknamed “shields of steel” by the agency — to protect maintenance workers while they’re performing roadway repairs along busy highways.

For a barrier to be warranted there, the traffic flow would need to be about double what it is now, CalTrans says. WEATHER ALERT Excessive Heat Warning Full Story ...