10-Mile Backup Forecast for Freeway

State Department of Transportation officials are predicting backups of at least 10 miles on the Ventura Freeway during weekends through the end of July unless motorists use other routes to avoid stepped-up work on widening the freeway.

Caltrans officials said that three westbound lanes will be closed in Tarzana and Woodland Hills from midnight this Friday until 11 a.m. Saturday, and again from midnight Saturday until 11 a.m. Sunday.

Over the 5-mile stretch of freeway between White Oak Avenue and Topanga Canyon Boulevard, only one lane and the outside shoulder will be available for traffic, which is often swelled by beach-bound motorists on warm Saturday and Sunday mornings.

In Effect 6 Weekends

The same lane closings will be in effect during six weekends in all, with the work halted only during the Fourth of July weekend, Caltrans said.

Richard Kermode, Caltrans’ senior resident engineer for the project, said that traffic counts indicate that unless large numbers of motorists avoid the westbound Ventura Freeway on Saturday and Sunday mornings, “the backup will stretch for at least 10 miles,” tying up “not only the 101 freeway but also the San Diego and Hollywood freeways and connecting roadways.”

The backup could continue well into the afternoon, Kermode said.

“The worst-case scenario would be a near round-the-clock traffic backup throughout the weekend,” he said.

Kermode said that motorists on local trips should use Vanowen Street or Victory Boulevard as alternatives to the westbound U.S. 101.

Eastbound freeway lanes will not be affected.

$18.3-Million Project

The lane closings are part of a 16-month, $18.3-million widening of the freeway from six to eight lanes between Topanga Canyon and Valley Circle boulevards.

The project, which began in February, also includes adding a fifth westbound lane between White Oak Avenue and Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and resurfacing several areas of broken pavement.

Caltrans officials said the lanes must be closed on weekend mornings to allow sufficient drying time for specially reinforced concrete slabs on either side of freeway overpasses.