Ceremony Marks Start of Work on Harbor Freeway Double-Decking

As celebrations go, it wasn’t much. Just the governor, a couple of congressmen and a handful of transportation experts getting together Friday morning to mark the start of construction on the $530-million Harbor Freeway Transit-way.

Actually, construction on the double-decked structures started several weeks ago. But the dignitaries brushed that fact aside with a joke or two because they were really here to honor the Los Angeles freeway system and celebrate the creation of a “second generation of freeways” that, they say, will help solve the traffic crunch.

“I love the freeway system,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Lomita), setting the tone. “There is nothing wrong that more capacity can’t solve. . . . We can double-deck the freeways and end a lot of the traffic congestion . . . get the traffic flowing.”

State Ranked Last

During the speeches, there was scant mention of the increasing freeway congestion or the fact that the California Transportation Commission recently reported that the state is ranked dead last, on a per-capita basis, when it comes to financing state and local highway construction and maintenance.

The ceremonies--attended by about 30 people--took place on an elevated, partially completed on-ramp that will be part of the massive Harbor Freeway-Century Freeway interchange now under construction. The speeches were accompanied by the dull roar of heavy traffic below, as late morning commuters fought their way downtown.

Gov. George Deukmejian was upbeat, praising the new transit-way concept, saying it will help “unlock the gridlock.” He talked about two-tier designs and adding more freeway lanes, pointing out that his Administration has spent $9 billion building and repairing freeways.

Prosperity, Transportation

“California’s prosperity has always been linked to transportation . . . (because) we are able to move people and products efficiently,” Deukmejian said before honoring a pair of old-time highway engineers, Henri Compagnon, 83, and Al Himelhoch, 74, who had helped design the Pasadena Freeway.

The 20-mile Harbor Freeway Transitway, stretching from San Pedro to the junction with the Santa Monica Freeway, will consist of high-occupancy-vehicle lanes exclusively for buses and ride-sharing vans and cars. Nearly three miles of these HOV lanes will be elevated to double-deck structures that will carry vehicles above the existing freeway through parts of South-Central Los Angeles.

Models of the double-decking and the emerging Harbor-Century Interchange were on display for the occasion, but the maze of looping and winding ramps was so complex even top state highway officials could not explain what went where. A senior engineer was finally rounded up to explain things.

Congestion on Increase

The Harbor Freeway now carries about 230,000 vehicles a day at speeds of 15 m.p.h. or less during rush hours, and state officials say congestion is on the increase. By the year 2005, 10 years after the transitway is completed, experts say nearly 100,000 commuters will be riding buses and car-pool vehicles along the new route, easing the congestion.

“The Harbor Freeway Transit-way . . . is a key element in the attack on congestion, “ said John Geoghegan, secretary of the state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Noting that California has “the sixth-largest economy in the world,” Geoghegan said the new generation of freeways is needed to meet the state’s projected economic growth.