YORBA LINDA

City Council members said Tuesday that they will keep a close eye on a controversial proposal to build a toll road through Chino Hills State Park and the city’s eastern edge. Councilwoman Barbara Kiley asked city officials to give regular status reports on the roadway, which would connect the Eastern Transportation Corridor to San Bernardino.

Called the Northern Corridor, the proposed toll road is one of several alternatives in a regional transportation plan designed to cut down on traffic congestion in Orange County. The Southern California Assn. of Governments, a regional planning agency, proposed the idea in 1997 and immediately came under criticism from environmental groups.

Public Works Director Roy Stephenson told council members that the plans for the toll road are so technically unworkable that it is unlikely to be developed. It is hardly worth the city’s time to follow the issue, he said.

Councilman Henry W. Wedaa disagreed, saying he will personally monitor the progress of the proposal. Kiley said she, too, is against the idea of marring a state park with a highway. The council decided to talk about the issue in more detail during its June 1 meeting.