Panel Funds Probe of Century Freeway Flaw

LOS ANGELES COUNTY — A legislative committee agreed Tuesday to spend $87,750 to investigate why Caltrans built a 3 1/2-mile stretch of the Century Freeway in Downey over underground water that has undermined the roadway.

The investigation also will examine whether all options to fix the multimillion-dollar problem have been pursued.

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted to have state Auditor Kurt R. Sjoberg evaluate the problems that have plagued the state’s newest and most expensive freeway.

Asking that the inquiry be completed as quickly as possible, Assemblywoman Sally Havice (D-Cerritos) described the highway’s problems as “a very scary issue” for her constituents who live near the freeway. The investigation is expected to be finished in July.

Tony V. Harris, chief deputy director of Caltrans, told the committee “the freeway is safe” and that the state’s goal is to control the ground water underneath it.

The Times reported last month that internal reports showed Caltrans ignored warnings about the shallow aquifer and that a 3 1/2-mile stretch of the freeway in Downey has been undermined as the water table has risen.