New traffic signal installed on Ranchero Road in Hesperia

A newly installed traffic signal at Seventh Avenue and Ranchero Road will be connected to power this week, Hesperia officials announced.

On Wednesday, supplied power will allow the signal to be in “flash mode” until further notice.

Motorists should continue to treat the intersection as a four-way stop and obey all signs, devices, and posted personnel in the area, city officials said

When asked online why the new traffic signal was installed so low, city spokesperson Kelly Brady explained that the arm on the traffic signal must be lower due to Southern California Edison's overhead transmission lines.

However, the traffic signal still complies with the required height of 14 feet, with a few additional inches above the requirement, Brady said.

The extra clearance ensures that vehicles within the legal height limit of 14 feet can pass through safely, she stated.

JoAnn King posted on the city’s Facebook page that she hopes the signal slows down many of the (expletives) running the intersections.

King added that she was nearly t-boned in the area because of someone going over 80 mph.

Ranchero Road widening project

The new traffic signal is part of the Rancho Road widening project, which began in December 2021 on the east side of Ranchero Road near I-15 and continued to progress east toward Seventh Avenue.

The overall project includes the removal of the two-lane Ranchero Road and the construction of a five-lane roadway complete with new traffic signals at Maple, Cottonwood, and Seventh avenues.

The project also involves removing the existing two-lane bridge and constructing a new bridge over the California Aqueduct at an estimated cost of $16 million, according to a staff report.

The new bridge on Ranchero Road between Cottonwood and Seventh avenues will have six traffic lanes and shared pedestrian/bicycle pathways.

The aqueduct bridge was built in 1969 and is too narrow to accommodate pedestrians and additional traffic efficiently, the city said.

The project also includes widening the at-grade crossing of the Union Pacific Railroad railroad tracks between Oak Hills High School and I-15.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: New traffic signal installed on Ranchero Road in Hesperia