Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Post-Quake Use Speeds Need for Road’s Repair

A formerly obscure stretch of road that was the lifeline for hundreds of thousands of north county commuters after the earthquake is getting some needed TLC for the holidays.

Caltrans workers began resurfacing a stretch of Sierra Highway on Monday that for several days following the Northridge earthquake was the only link between Los Angeles and residents of the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

Resurfacing is routine for all roads, but the heavy use of Sierra Highway necessitated the work be performed sooner than planned, said Russell Snyder, a Caltrans spokesman.

“What happened after the quake was there was a lot of traffic detoured onto Sierra Highway, and all that traffic really does beat up the road,” he said.

A resurfacing date had not been set before the earthquake, but “was not planned this year or the next,” said Robert Newman, supervising civil engineer for the city of Santa Clarita.

In the days following the earthquake, which caused portions of the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways to collapse, commuters were sometimes backed up for more than 10 miles on Sierra Highway. Commutes that took 45 minutes before the disaster took up to five hours, prompting many residents to head for work at 3 a.m.

The road will be rebuilt between Placerita Canyon Road in Santa Clarita and the Los Angeles city limits, the portion to which traffic was diverted, Snyder said. Estimated cost of the project is $587,000, which will be paid by Federal Highway Administration funds.

The road will remain partially open during the two-week project. The repairs are scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31 if weather is favorable.