Post-Quake Road Problems Centered in Fillmore, Simi

Dear Readers:

For the past week, it seems that most residents have been too busy dealing with post-quake problems to worry about mistimed traffic signals and faded lane striping.

Since the Street Smart mailbag is not exactly overflowing with its usual array of clever missives, we offer a quick guide to some of the quake-related closures and changes in Simi Valley and Fillmore, the Ventura County cities most affected by the earthquake.

In Fillmore:

There are no major road ruptures around the city, now that a huge chasm caused when a gas storage tank under California 126 exploded has been neatly filled in and covered.

However, several intersections and streets are closed indefinitely because of severely damaged buildings. They are:

* Central Avenue from Main to 1st streets.

* The intersection of Main and Saratoga Avenue.

* The intersection of Fillmore Avenue and Santa Clara Street to Saratoga.

* All the alleys between Central Avenue and Mountain View Street.

Fillmore Public Works Director John Kozar said he would not be able to reopen the streets until all the buildings in the area were inspected and rated for safety.

After a brief closure on Jan. 17, the stretch of California 23 linking Fillmore and Moorpark is open, but looking somewhat unfriendly. During each aftershock that rolls through the area, piles of sand and dirt collect at the edges of the roadway, growing as debris slides down the hillsides.

In Simi Valley:

Aside from the quake-enhanced bumps and blips along Los Angeles Avenue and Cochran Street, roads are operating smoothly.

There are, however, minor inconveniences on some streets:

* The signal at Los Angeles Avenue and Tapo Street was damaged during the quake and can’t be repaired until a special part ordered from the manufacturer in Anaheim arrives.

Traffic Engineer Bill Golubics says he hopes that will happen by the end of the week.

* The traffic signal above Kuehner Drive and Smith Road is flashing red, which--along with several signs--lets motorists know that Santa Susana Pass Road leading out of Simi Valley and into Los Angeles is closed.

* The bridge where Yosemite Avenue meets the Simi Valley Freeway sank about four inches during the quake, leaving a ridge in the roadway. The city has covered the bump with a temporary asphalt mix and has posted signs warning drivers to slow down.

* On side streets, there may be a few barricades at depressions near manholes where the road settled. The city is working to repair them as quickly as possible, Golubics says.

Commuter Alert

Commuters bracing for hours of travel through the tangled Los Angeles Basin should remember that Metrolink has reopened and is running on schedule Mondays through Fridays.

In Moorpark, the first train leaves from the station at 300 High St. at 5:15 a.m. In Simi Valley, the first train leaves from the station at 5050 Los Angeles Ave. at 5:28 a.m.. The last one returns to Simi Valley at 7:16 p.m. and Moorpark at 7:34 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased from vending machine platforms. The round-trip cost is $10 from Simi Valley and $12 from Moorpark. For schedule information, call (800) 438-1112 or (800) 371-5465.