(Flickr pic by cpomeara.)
The L.A. City Nerd answers a burning question that I'd had -- and clearly others had as well-- about the sudden appearance of some weird fixtures on the ceiling of the 110's Arroyo Seco tunnels.
The Nerd knows, and it's surprisingly mundane: It's new lighting. (I was paranoid that it was some sort of CHP device to monitor when people like me try to cut in the slow-moving lane that splits off onto the 5 -- easily the worst freeway interchange in Los Angeles). The Nerd writes:
The new structures the run the length of the tunnels are new lighting so that the drastic changes from light to dark that can cause accidents are removed. (Roadway experts will tell you that the shift from light to dark like happens in the tunnels can cause visibility and perception issues.) Thanks to Caltrans, the series of tunnels will be safer for that "standard battle" of when to merge to the 5 North.
The lights aren't fully installed yet, but they will be; and those tunnels will be safer for it.
Several commenters have already bemoaned the ugliness of the lights, particularly given the historic nature of those tunnels. Aesthetics clearly didn't come into play here.
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