Builder Says 2 New Roads Will Ease Traffic Jams

Two roads designed to relieve chronic traffic congestion in the Bouquet Canyon section of the Santa Clarita Valley could be completed by January, executives of Valencia Co. announced Friday.

The two projects will connect Decoro Drive and McBean Parkway and are among $30 million worth of road improvements that Valencia Co. is building in conjunction with its 10,000-acre North River project. Valencia Co. is a division of Newhall Land & Farming Co., the largest developer in the valley.

The company is extending Decoro Drive, which dead-ends near Seco Canyon Road, westward until it meets an extension of McBean Parkway. At present, McBean Parkway dead-ends at Newhall Ranch Road.

Connecting McBean and Decoro will create a loop that will draw some traffic off Seco Canyon, one of the more heavily traveled roads in the valley. Seco Canyon traffic now flows into Bouquet Canyon Road, which is clogged with traffic during the morning and evening commutes.

Gary Cusumano, chief operating officer of Newhall Land, also unveiled proposals for a variety of projects--from stoplights and bridges to freeway interchanges and new roads--that would serve Valencia and surrounding communities.

The estimated cost of the projects is $100 million, Cusumano said. The funding is not yet secured, but probably will come from the state, city and Valencia Co., he said.

Traffic is a frequent complaint in Santa Clarita, and the City Council has said that removing traffic logjams is its highest priority. A citizens group led a drive to place a tax initiative on the Nov. 7 ballot that could raise more than $275 million for road projects over 25 years.