SEPULVEDA BOULEVARD : Bottleneck Gets Another Squeeze

Motorists on busy Sepulveda Boulevard in Torrance face even greater headaches in the weeks ahead as eastbound traffic is squeezed into one lane most of the day.

Since April, construction of a water line has tied up eastbound traffic for several blocks along Sepulveda, one of the South Bay’s major roadways and freeway accesses. Starting this week, another of the three eastbound lanes is being closed between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., creating backups several blocks long as three lanes merge into one just west of Western Avenue.

“The traffic will be bottlenecked for another month during working hours,” said Jerry Peterson, a city civil engineer. Completion of the project is expected in late March, and the middle lane may be reopened sooner if feasible.

53,700 Cars Use Roadway

According to the city Traffic Department, 53,700 cars use the affected segment of Sepulveda on an average weekday. The measurement counted traffic in both directions.

Sepulveda is being dug up for installation of a new, 600-foot water line connecting the city’s water system and Metropolitan Water District pipes, said Chuck Schaich, an adminstrative analyst with the city Water Department. He said the project, which will increase the city’s water supplies by 30%, is needed to meet increasing water demand in Torrance.

The city already receives about 75% of its water from the district through other lines.

The project was originally expected to take about two months. But it was stalled--along with traffic--when workers discovered oil pipelines directly in the path of the new line, Schaich said.

The oil pipelines were not on city charts and, Schaich said, nobody has yet claimed ownership. The workers have had to cap the oil lines and reroute the water line, he said.

Because the water line is made from a specially prefabricated material, it took “an extremely long time” to have new pipes made, Schaich said. The road had to remain closed during the wait because it had already been excavated.

The construction and the congestion it has caused have upset not only motorists but also nearby residents, who complain that an increasing number of cars are driving through their neighborhoods in an attempt to avoid the traffic backup.

Alternative routes that avoid neighborhood streets include Carson Street to the north and Lomita Boulevard to the south.

Schaich said he has received many complaints from residents. “Some people are unhappy,” he said.

Business owners near that intersection are also not pleased.

Michael Silbert, general manager of the Conroy’s Florist, said the traffic and noise has cost his flower store 25% of its business.

He said that customers and employes have complained about traffic as well as the dirt and noise from the digging.

No Relief So Far

“The noise is crazy,” he said. “It makes all the employees crazy.”

Silbert said he has talked to construction workers about the noise and dust, but so far has gotten no relief.

“I don’t know what I can do,” he said. “I don’t know what options I have.”

Penny Lujan, the assistant manager of Spire’s Restaurant, said her employees and customers have also been complaining about the traffic.

“It’s just been too long,” she said. “I have been here since September and it has always been here.”