State’s Cash Crunch to Delay Road Projects : Transportation: Shift of funds to seismic retrofitting means that six improvements, including widening Ventura Freeway’s worst bottleneck, may be postponed several years.

Ventura County motorists may have to endure the Ventura Freeway’s worst bottleneck well into the 21st Century as a result of a state fiscal crunch that is likely to force delays in funding for planned road projects.

The $53-million widening of the freeway over the Santa Clara River is one of six major projects in Ventura County that may be postponed for years due to a shortfall of state transportation dollars.

Up and down the state, cash-strapped Caltrans is re-examining its commitment to road construction projects with an eye toward shifting funds to seismic retrofitting.

“We’ve frozen the process to give ourselves an opportunity to reassess our list,” said Caltrans spokesman Jim Drago. “When you are looking at Ventura County, basically any job there could be a candidate for delay.”

Officials say drastic delays are unavoidable because voters rejected a statewide bond initiative on the June 7 ballot that would have provided $1 billion for seismic strengthening. Without those bond funds, Caltrans has to raid other projects to cover the cost of bringing freeway bridges up to earthquake safety standards.

County officials who have been in touch with Caltrans said they hold little hope for local road projects, ranging from the Ventura Freeway expansion to construction of new freeway ramps.

“What it means is these projects are not going to happen in a timely manner,” said Christopher Stephens, manager of planning and highway programs for the Ventura County Transportation Commission. “Projects that are needed today--and were needed yesterday--are not going to happen when they were scheduled.”

Even before hearing Caltrans’ bleak news, county officials were anxious about their ability to fund their share of local road and rail projects. But Transportation Commission officials last week rejected a half-cent sales tax measure for the fall ballot, fearing voters would turn it down, too.

“We are experiencing a lot of transportation funding shortfalls in Ventura County and the state problem isn’t helping,” said Carlos Fernandez, the commission’s manager of transportation planning and legislation.

The six projects that may be delayed include two that have better odds than the rest of moving forward on schedule, Stephens said. But he noted that Caltrans has sent the county early signals that “everything will be held out.”

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If two are allowed to go forward, those will likely be the reconstruction of a Pacific Coast Highway interchange at Oxnard to improve port access for trucks, and the widening of a stretch of California 126 near Fillmore, Stephens said.

The following is a rundown of the six projects that state transportation officials are considering putting on hold while diverting funds to seismic retrofitting:

* The widening of a 1.7-mile stretch of the Ventura Freeway from Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard to Johnson Drive in Ventura. Scheduled to begin in 1996, the project is designed to unclog the worst remaining bottleneck on the 101 from Los Angeles to San Jose. Plans include reconstructing the bridge spanning the Santa Clara River, so costs may exceed the $53 million Caltrans had penciled out. More than half that sum was to come from the cities of Ventura and Oxnard. Stephens said early indications from Caltrans are that the project may be pushed back another four years.

* The $30-million reconstruction of the Pleasant Valley Road interchange with Pacific Coast Highway, providing an extension of Rice Avenue to Hueneme Road. This project is designed to improve truck access to the port by upgrading a 40-year-old, then-rural interchange that was never intended to carry much commercial traffic. Stephens said he has high hopes that the interchange work, scheduled to start in 1997, will go forward because federal demonstration project funds are involved.

* Reconstruction of the Lewis Road interchange with the Ventura Freeway in Camarillo. This project will provide easier access to the Ventura Freeway from Lewis Road, where no direct ramps exist currently. The $17-million allocated for the reconstruction includes funds to buy property for a Camarillo station to serve Metrolink, and eventually Amtrak, trains. The project was scheduled to start in 1999.

* The widening of the Seaward Avenue interchange with the Ventura Freeway in Ventura. This project was scheduled to start in 1997 at an estimated cost of $8.5 million. Plans also include revising ramps.

* The widening and straightening of a winding two-lane stretch of California 126 near Fillmore to Powell Road. This is a continuation of a long-running project to reduce accident rates along the road from Santa Paula to the county line. Plans for the $10-million, five-mile project call for adding two lanes and building a median to help prevent head-on car crashes. Since funds were allocated for this work two months ago, Stephens said he wants to make a case for it to begin next year as scheduled.

* The final phase of widening California 126 from two to four lanes. This five-mile section stretches from Center Street near Piru to the Los Angeles County line. The $12-million project was scheduled to begin in 1995.

* L.A. DELAYS

In Los Angeles County, earthquake safety projects get priority over work to ease traffic congestion. A1