The location: Kanan Road northbound right lane at Roadside Drive in Agoura Hills

The problem: Motorists traveling north on Kanan Road at Agoura Road are required to get into the right lane to enter the southbound 101 Freeway. But as they approach Roadside Drive just before the on-ramp they’re required to make a right turn only onto Roadside. To get to the freeway ramp they must merge back to the left, often creating confusion.

Motorists don’t have adequate time to merge from the right lane to the lane that leads to the freeway entrance, nor are the other motorists very accommodating when the merge becomes necessary. As a result, traffic often backs up.

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers CONFUSING CORNER—The intersection at Kanan Road and Roadside Drive in Agoura Hills will be improved when the new Kanan Road interchange is completed. Possible solutions: Remove the “right turn only” sign at Roadside Drive and allow motorists traveling in the right lane to continue past Roadside Drive onto the 101 Freeway.

The reasons for no action: According to Ken Berkman, Agoura Hills City Engineer, the city created the “right turn only” condition for safety reasons.

“A relatively high number of accidents occurred prior to the installation of the signage,” Berkman said. “These collisions occurred when vehicles in the two northbound through lanes would stop (at Roadside Drive) as required to leave room for crossing or southbound left turn vehicles. . . Sometimes drivers in the (two left northbound) through lanes would even wave the left turner through, not realizing there are northbound vehicles approaching Roadside Drive in the far right lane to get on the freeway. The resulting collisions were often serious due to inadequate visibility combined with the expectation of the northbound vehicle of clear, safe passage.”

Ultimate solution: “The ultimate solution to this problem is completion of the Kanan Road Interchange Project, which will provide free-moving right turns onto the freeway from all approaches,” Berkman said.

For more information about the $24 million Kanan interchange project, visit www.kananroad.org.

Have a traffic-related question or concern? Send it to “Ask Mr. Traffic” in care of the address on page 4 or by e-mail to pic@theacorn.com. We’ll try to respond as soon as possible.