A stretch of California highway where actor James Dean died will temporarily shut down.
The road, known as “Blood Alley,” spans 20 miles of Highway 41 and connects the state to the Central Valley, Paso Robles and Kettlemen City. The high volume of traffic and the narrow lanes have been blamed for a high number of accidents.
Authorities will be carrying out construction on the highway for five days from June 9 to 13.
The work will extend from the interchange of highways 41 and 46 near Cholame, about 20 miles east to Reef Station near the junction of state Route 33, according to SFGate.
The Independent has emailed Caltrans, the state’s transportation authority, for more information.
Jim Shivers, a Caltrans spokesperson, told the San Francisco Chronicle the new works were the latest effort to make the stretch of road safer.
He said: “There will be some lengthy detours, which we have acknowledged. The flip side of that is we’ll have a brand new interchange opening up soon. It’s a major upgrade, it’s a major safety enhancement.”
In 2002, the San Francisco Chronicle reported 54 people had died on the stretch of highway, with James Dean being one of them. An additional 690 people were injured in the same spot.
On September 30, 1955, the 24-year-old actor – who had recently achieved superstar status with his movies Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant – got into his Porsche 550 Spyder and started driving up the coast toward Salinas. Around 5.45p.m., he passed through the intersection in Cholame, about 227 miles from San Francisco.
Ford Tudor, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, turned onto the road and struck Dean’s car.
The actor’s vehicle crumpled on impact and Dean died from severe injuries, including a broken neck. He became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award acting nomination, and later received a second.
The site of the crash has become a tourist attraction, featuring a sculpture of the actor.
Caltrans has spent two decades working to improve safety conditions on the road. The State Route 46 Corridor Improvement Project expanded the number of lanes and added a new interchange.
Officials believe the established detour will be operable through the improvement efforts. Drivers heading west from the Central Valley are being advised to take Highway 41 to state Route 33 south to Highway 46 west before rejoining Highway 41.
Officials say they are optimistic the work will be completed ahead of July 4.
