Work to Affect Topanga Canyon Blvd. Traffic

Starting today, traffic on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth and Canoga Park will be squeezed into one lane in each direction on weekdays because of road-improvement work, according to Caltrans.

From 8:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. each day this week, crews will be performing electrical work and removing median islands on the stretch of the boulevard between Sherman Way and Chatsworth Street.

The work is expected to be completed by Friday, said Rafael Carlos, a Caltrans traffic management center operator.

Caltrans is advising motorists to use Canoga and Shoup avenues as alternative routes. After work hours, all Topanga Canyon Boulevard lanes will be open, but from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., vehicles will not be allowed to park on the boulevard, according to Caltrans.

Along a stretch that contains apartments, offices and small businesses, the weeklong lane closures and parking prohibitions are causing some concerns.

“It will be disastrous for my business,” said Kamran Karamat, owner of Desi Peppers Cafe near Roscoe Boulevard, which depends on drive-by or walk-in customers.

“Why can’t [Caltrans] do it at night?” Karamat asked.

Ivy Estrada, a Caltrans spokeswoman, said daytime hours were chosen because residential areas are nearby and “some of the work is noisy.”

Estrada added she would visit the area today and speak with residents and business owners to determine their concerns, and that Caltrans might put up electronic signs to remind drivers that businesses along Topanga Canyon are still open.