Drain Project Expected to Snarl School Traffic

A county storm-drain project south of Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks may have residents and students at nearby private schools grinding their teeth and their gears until August as they struggle to find new paths to Mulholland Drive and the Westside.

The $2.2-million project, already underway, involves constructing a 6,600-foot storm drain system along Saugus Avenue, Stonewood Drive, Valley Vista and Sepulveda boulevards and Woodcliff Road--a popular route to the handful of private schools on Mulholland.

Traffic lanes on affected streets may be reduced or closed to through traffic during daytime working hours, said Joel Bellman, a spokesman for County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Local access will be maintained at all times.

On the upside, Yaroslavsky said, “completion of this project should substantially reduce problem flooding in the area.”

According to Sharon Mayor, chief field deputy for City Councilman Mike Feuer, work is not slated to begin on Woodcliff until after the neighboring private schools--Milken Community, Curtis, Mirman and Berkeley Hall, among them--have all let out for the summer, after June 21.