Group Sues Caltrans in Bid to Block Freeway
An alliance of environmentalists and the city of South Pasadena have sued Caltrans and the state Transportation Commission seeking to block construction of the Long Beach Freeway extension.
The Sierra Club, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and South Pasadena are asking a state judge to issue an order permanently stopping construction of the six-mile roadway and deleting the route between the San Bernardino and Foothill freeways from state highway plans.
Last month, the Federal Highway Administration approved the long-delayed freeway through Pasadena, South Pasadena and the Eastside of Los Angeles.
In a state lawsuit filed May 13, the petitioners allege that Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission have failed to comply with state environmental law requiring them to mitigate the freeway’s impact and arguing that it will destroy hundreds of homes and trees and damage four historic neighborhoods.
Caltrans spokesman Jim Drago said his agency was served with the lawsuit Thursday and maintained that it complied will all provisions of state law.
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