Cities Cite Noise, Safety Problems : Ventura Freeway Night Closure Plan Hit

Officials of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills say they will protest a Caltrans proposal to close a nine-mile stretch of the Ventura Freeway at night for several months next year to make repairs.

Closure of the freeway for $15 million in repaving would detour trucks and other traffic onto local streets, causing noise and safety problems, city officials said.

“You don’t just close a freeway and put all the traffic on city streets,” Thousand Oaks Mayor Frank Schillo said. “They’re just not built to handle freeway traffic.”

Officials suggested that Caltrans leave some lanes open each night.

The Caltrans project, which is needed to replace defective concrete, is planned for the Ventura Freeway between Las Virgenes Road and Hampshire Road.

The work, which could take as long as six months, would be done between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., California Department of Transportation officials said. During those hours freeway traffic would be diverted onto streets parallel to the freeway, such as Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Agoura Road.

“Through our city, Agoura Road is mostly a narrow, two-lane road,” said Agoura Hills Mayor Fran Pavley. “I don’t think the people living adjacent to that road would be able to sleep through that kind of traffic.”

In Thousand Oaks, city officials said a freeway detour along Thousand Oaks Boulevard would pose a danger to merchants and residents, as well as increase street repair costs.

City officials said they learned of the Caltrans proposal during informal talks last week. Meetings between Caltrans representatives and city planners are scheduled for later this week, city officials said.