Council OKs East-West Connector

The first road to be built since Santa Clarita was incorporated has been given the go-ahead by the City Council.

Establishment of a three-mile link between Magic Mountain Parkway and Via Princessa would make it the second major east-west route across the Santa Clarita Valley, Tony Nisich, a city engineer, said Wednesday.

“We’ve been trying to build this road since we’ve been a city,” said Nisich, who will head the $30-million project. The council unanimously approved the road Tuesday night.

But don’t expect to see any bulldozers soon.

Approval of the link is contingent on completion of the toxic cleanup at the site of the Porta Bella development, a task that could take years, Nisich said.

In the meantime, Nisich said the city will begin the design process. “We are going to do our work so we will be ready to start construction as soon as possible,” he said.

A $22-million plan for another east-west route that would connect Wiley Canyon Road to Via Princessa was put on hold at the same City Council meeting, pending exploration of alternatives to that link.

Last month, about 150 angry Valencia residents jeered at council members to protest the Wiley Canyon extension, which would include construction of a bridge. Residents said the extension would bring extra traffic and noise pollution to their neighborhood.