Sequels of ’95 : They...
They gathered, in large numbers at first, to protest what they saw as the greatest intrusion ever into their beloved Laguna Canyon, the 8-mile ribbon of rustic beauty that lies between the San Diego Freeway and downtown Laguna Beach (“A Grand Canyon,” Jan. 31).
As earthmovers shaved the canyon walls and lawyers argued in court, protesters swore to stop the construction of the San Joaquin Hills tollway that would span the canyon.
“We’re never going to throw in the towel,” said Elisabeth Brown, president of Laguna Greenbelt, but that soon became moot. A federal appeals court reversed itself and gave the tollway the green light.
Drive down the canyon today and you see the tollway’s wide travel lanes and ramps sculpted in bare earth and being used by construction trucks. Across Laguna Canyon Road are the skeletons of tollway bridges already strong enough to carry construction traffic.
Tuesday there were only workers and a few trucks moving along.
No protest signs. No protesters. “It’s over,” said one worker. “It’s done.”
Officials expect the new section to open before June.
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