Local News in Brief : State Transportation Panel OKs MCA Freeway Ramps
MCA Inc. has received approval from the state Transportation Commission in Sacramento to construct on- and off-ramps from Universal City to the Hollywood Freeway.
The ramps, which it is estimated will cost $3 million, will be designed to alleviate traffic congestion generated by new hotels and businesses being built in Universal City, said Dave Kilmurray, a Caltrans design engineer. Now, Kilmurray said, the only route from the entertainment complex to the Hollywood Freeway is Lankershim Boulevard.
MCA Inc. built a bridge spanning the Hollywood Freeway in 1983, linking Universal City to Cahuenga Boulevard West. The ramps will connect the bridge and the freeway to Coral Drive, a new street being built alongside the freeway, Kilmurray said.
Kilmurray also said an auxiliary lane, using the shoulder of the freeway and leading into the Lankershim Boulevard off-ramp, would be built to handle the increased traffic flow into Universal City.
Approval of the project by the commission was the first step in the construction process, Kilmurray said. Construction will begin after the California Department of Transportation reaches an agreement with the City of Los Angeles to build on the freeway, he said.
The state Transportation Commission is a separate body from Caltrans. Part of its function is to evaluate Caltrans’ effectiveness and its budget.
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