Late-Night Work May Slow Ventura Freeway : Traffic: Three of four lanes may be closed as the roadways are widened. Repaving areas will be indicated.

Ventura Freeway motorists face possible late-night traffic slowdowns on weekends for the coming year when three of the freeway’s four lanes may be closed as part of a $61-million widening project.

Starting in Van Nuys this weekend, workers will repave a 1.5-mile stretch of the freeway in the Sherman Oaks area with reinforced concrete. Three westbound lanes between the Haskell Avenue and Balboa Boulevard exits will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, and from 11 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday. The westbound Balboa Boulevard on-ramp also will be closed during the same hours.

“We expect congestion that may take a few minutes longer for the average motorist to get through,” said Jack Hallin, Caltrans’ deputy director for construction and maintenance. “We’ve had very good experiences the last couple years when the first phase of the project was under construction. Of course, the trade-off is this work is needed to provide an additional lane in each direction.

“We expect the added lanes will provide some relief in traffic for a few years but the way development out in Ventura County is going, eventually this lane will fill up too.”

The freeway also may be closed weeknights as work continues to add a new lane to each side of a 15-mile stretch between Woodland Hills and the Hollywood Freeway in Universal City. It is the last phase of the Ventura Improvement Project, begun in 1988 with road renovations in Agoura Hills. The project is to be finished by September, 1991.

Hallin said past road closures did not cause major backups because forewarned motorists used surface streets. He said he expects the coming closures to slow motorists on summer weekend nights and mornings, but said traffic backed up only a mile during past closures.

“There were backups, but because the public got the information, they tended to stay away or go through earlier.”

About once a week, Caltrans will release information on the times and locations of freeway closures. Warnings, including electric signs that flash messages, will be set up alongside the freeway to alert drivers to closures and advise them on alternate routes. Motorists may call 1-800-CALL-VIP for up-to-date information on closures.