Unexpected Fixes Delay Road Repairs

Dear Traffic Talk:

For several weeks a southbound lane on Balboa Boulevard just north of Midwood Drive in Granada Hills has been closed night and day to all traffic.

No signs announce what is being done there. And we do not know how long the work is going to last.

To add to drivers’ frustrations over this lengthy bottleneck, many days go by with no crews visible and no work being done.

Residents at the north end of Balboa have put up with many problems resulting from numerous repairs during the past three years.

This includes a long delay in smoothing the surface with blacktop after rough repairs following the earthquake and a gas explosion.

What is this newest aggravation and how soon can we expect a decent commute?

Nancy Curry

Granada Hills

Dear Nancy:

Ongoing work on Balboa in that area has been necessary over the last few months because of unexpected problems underneath the street, according to authorities.

First, a sinkhole in two of the lanes was discovered in March, said Tom Kilmer, an engineer with the Los Angeles Department of Public Works. The two lanes were closed and the sinkhole was filled.

Then, in April, the department began an improvement project to repair a storm drain pipe that is 8 feet in diameter and runs diagonally northwest to southeast 35 feet below the surface, Kilmer said.

The main phases of the project include repairing the pipe and consolidating soil between the roadway and pipe, he said.

The two southbound lanes have been kept closed because until the soil-consolidation phase of the project is complete, there may be insufficient support for the major utility lines running under that side of the street, Kilmer said.

A company was given permission to begin work May 8, but the contract is good for 120 working days, he said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I travel on San Fernando Valley surface streets every morning, and for the most part the traffic lights are synchronized.

However, lights will periodically go out of sync and cause backups or frequent stops and starts.

Who or what controls the general flow of traffic on surface streets, and how often are the lights checked or synchronized?

Also, who can be contacted when lights at a particular street get out of sync?

Jacob Smith

Woodland Hills

Dear Jacob:

A number of engineers with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation investigate complaints about traffic lights, according to the agency.

Malfunctioning lights in the Valley are repaired by crews from the department’s Valley Yard, said Ray Wellbaum, an engineer with the department.

Actual timing adjustments are handled by the department’s Signal Timing and Research section in downtown Los Angeles.

To report any problem with traffic lights west of the San Diego Freeway, residents may call the Department of Transportation’s West Valley district office at (818) 756-8784.

For lights east of the San Diego Freeway, residents may call the East Valley district office at (818) 756-8441.

Traffic Talk appears Fridays in The Times Valley Edition. Readers may submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385. E-mail questions to valley@latimes.com