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Torres to Continue Fighting Freeway

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A bid to block the routing of the Long Beach Freeway’s final leg through South Pasadena has been dealt a setback, but Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) immediately vowed to revive his fight before the legislative session ends in September.

“I’m going to continue to raise the issue as best as I can,” Torres said after the Senate last Friday removed his amendment--aimed at scuttling the controversial freeway link--from compromise transportation legislation.

The state Department of Transportation is finishing an environmental impact study on a freeway route that would roughly follow Meridian Avenue in South Pasadena and destroy some historic houses in the northern part of the city.

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Caltrans officials say they expect federal approval in August for the 6.2-mile-long route, known as the Meridian Variation.

Caltrans estimates the cost of completion at $425 million, but opponents of the freeway claim that the price tag eventually could climb to $1 billion.

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