Added Work to Choke Traffic on Ventura Freeway

Transportation officials urged motorists traveling in the San Fernando Valley to avoid the Ventura Freeway in the early morning and late evening today and again Sunday morning because road construction will delay traffic.

The state Department of Transportation also warned that paving on California 126 next week will cause delays for motorists in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Ventura Freeway improvements mark the first time in the 16-month widening and rehabilitation project that lanes on both sides of the freeway will be closed for extended periods, said Caltrans spokesman Mike Rutherford. The closure is due to bridge construction and pavement resurfacing, he said.

From midnight to 9 a.m. today, just one lane of the eastbound Ventura Freeway will be open to traffic while crews work on the Fallbrook Avenue bridge. The affected area extends from the Parkway Calabasas bridge to just past the Fallbrook Avenue bridge.

Ramps Closed

The Mulholland Drive on-ramp and the Fallbrook Avenue off-ramp also will be closed during that period.

Additional work from 9 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. today required closure of two eastbound lanes from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Canoga Avenue, officials said.

Some westbound lanes of the freeway were to begin closing between Canoga and Topanga Canyon for pavement resurfacing at 9 p.m. Friday. Three lanes were to be closed by 2 a.m. today. All lanes were scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m. today.

Work is expected to continue on the eastbound freeway from midnight to 11 a.m. Sunday, when just one lane will be open from Parkway Calabasas bridge to the Fallbrook Avenue bridge.

The Mulholland Drive on-ramp and the Fallbrook Avenue off-ramp will be closed from 9 tonight until 11 a.m. Sunday.

On the westbound side, only one lane will be open between midnight tonight and 10 a.m. Sunday from De Soto Avenue to past the Fallbrook Avenue bridge.

The Topanga Canyon and De Soto on-ramps will be closed from 9 tonight to 10 a.m. Sunday.

Magic Mountain Parkway

The project on California 126 in the Santa Clarita Valley--which is called Magic Mountain Parkway on the north and becomes San Fernando Road to the south--begins Tuesday. Workers will begin applying a sealing coat to preserve the asphalt from the Golden State Freeway to 13th Street in the city of Santa Clarita, officials said.

The work will be done Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., for two weeks, Caltrans spokeswoman Margie Tiritilli said. She said no weekend work is anticipated.

While the work is under way, a “pilot car” will escort drivers through the area, Tiritilli said. Motorists can expect some delays if they need to travel in the area while work is in progress, she said.

“There is no alternate route, and the car will have to wait until work stops until drivers can be escorted through,” she said.