SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : Elevated Rail Might Mean Widening Freeway Again
Building an elevated rail line along the median of the Ventura Freeway may require further widening of the heavily used freeway and substantially increase construction time and the project’s $2.6-billion price tag, according to a report by county transportation officials.
The freeway, on which widening work is just being completed, might have to have bridges rebuilt and sound walls moved in several locations between Universal City and Woodland Hills to make room for the rail line’s support columns, according to the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission staff report.
The report was prepared for a commission panel that will meet Wednesday to decide which of two rival east-west rail line plans for the San Fernando Valley to support. The entire commission will meet Dec. 16 to make a final decision on the line.
At issue is the design and route of a line that will connect Warner Center in Woodland Hills to the Metro Red Line, either in North Hollywood or Universal City. The alternative to the freeway line is a $3.03-billion rail line that would run mostly underground, paralleling Burbank and Chandler boulevards.
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