A popular thoroughfare connecting northern Orange County to western San Bernardino County is restricting truck traffic in an effort to improve safety.
The Chino Hills City Council has approved banning trucks with more than four axles from traveling along Carbon Canyon Road, a narrow S-curve highway.
Enforcement along the 8.5-mile highway will begin next week, with Chino Hills police issuing tentative warnings during the soft opening of the new restrictions.
“So it gets a little sketchy there, and sometimes they (trucks) are so big they don’t even hear or see us,” said cyclist Patrick Caro.
Carbon Canyon Road, or Highway 142, is owned and operated by Caltrans and is an alternative to Highways 57, 60 and 91, which connect Chino Hills to Brea.
“After years of joint efforts and collaboration between two cities and two different California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) districts, we are pleased to implement this enforcement action and reduce the hazards caused by semi-trucks navigating Carbon Canyon and have long been a concern for our community,” said Chino Hills Mayor Cynthia Moran.
The City of Chino Hills began exploring truck traffic solutions in 2016 and funded three different traffic studies in 2017, 2018 and again in 2021. Highway truck restrictions were originally approved by the City of Chino Hills in 2022.
“It’s really not designed, and it’s really not accessible for trucks with more than four axles. We’ve seen over the years that these accidents can result in injuries and lengthy delays for commuters,” said Chief Al Girard of the Police Department. Chino Hills.
There are some exceptions under the new restrictions: large trucks making deliveries or doing business in the canyon,
It will be enforced by the Chino Hills Police Department on the San Bernardino County side, and by the Brea Police Department on the Orange County side of the divide. Violators will be subject to fines, $238, and a point on one’s DMV record.
