La Tuna Canyon Road Truck Ban Approved

One month after agreeing in principle to close a dangerous stretch of La Tuna Canyon Road to heavy trucks, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted the ban into law.

The ordinance, approved unanimously, is expected to be signed by Mayor Richard Riordan within a week and will go into effect 30 days later, officials said.

It will bar trucks weighing in excess of 6,000 pounds from traveling a section of La Tuna Canyon Road stretching from the Foothill Freeway to Sunland Boulevard.

In recent years, the city has spent nearly $3 million to settle four lawsuits stemming from accidents on La Tuna Canyon Road. In March, the council agreed to pay $1.2 million to a 28-year-old Glendale woman who suffered brain damage as a result of an accident that was blamed on faulty drainage on the road.

Canyon residents have also complained for years about noise and vibrations from trucks that use the road.

“Anybody who lives close to the street feels the vibrations and hears the noise from the trucks,” said Jack Reynolds, a senior engineer with the city’s Department of Transportation. “When the vehicles travel at a high speed, especially in wet weather, there are a lot of accidents.”

Last spring, the city spent $245,000 to improve drainage and reconstruct portions of the road. However, because the road lies in a flood plain, it will always be subject to hazardous conditions in wet weather, Reynolds said.

By closing the road to the heaviest trucks, officials said, the city will improve area residents’ quality of life and increase safety by reducing wear and tear on the asphalt.