RON SIDDLE/Valley Press

'Blood Alley' face-lift begins

Traffic light dedicated at deadly crossing

By NICOLE JACOB
Valley Press Staff Writer

Community leaders have long cried for safety improvements to Highway 138, dubbed "Blood Alley" for the number of lives lost on its lanes.

On Friday, dignitaries celebrated the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of 165th Street East and Highway 138, a spot that has seen 35 crashes in the last five years, including a December 2002 crash that killed one person and injured five others.

Public safety and transportation officials hope that the signal will improve road safety.

"Everyone knows that if you were trying to cross that intersection, you were really taking your life into your hands," California Highway Patrol Capt. Doug Rich said.

"Just how many years have we been trying to get a traffic light on this intersection?" state Sen. William J. "Pete" Knight asked rhetorically at the dedication.

"About 20!" shouted Roy Anderson, a past president of the Llano Community Association.

Knight laughingly responded, "Well, I know I've been at it for at least 100.

"I think more money was spent trying to stop this project than it cost to actually put it in," the Palmdale Republican said.

"This is an excellent example of a community problem being addressed," said Joe Healey, current president of the Llano Community Association. "It's just a tremendous improvement."

njacob@avpress.com