The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has given the thumbs up to a substantial renovation of The Old Road in the sprawl of the Santa Clarita Valley, a familiar retreat for many when the daunting Interstate 5 succumbs to the chaos of inclement weather or emergency closures.
In a display of unity, the board cast a unanimous vote endorsing a roadway transformation that could run up a tab as high as $250 million, setting in motion plans to augment The Old Road's capacity for traffic, safety measures, and modern conveniences. "This project represents a critical investment in the future of our Santa Clarita Valley communities and the regional safety of our roadways,” Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Kathryn Barger said, as stated by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Barger's vision focuses on easing traffic flow, bolstering pedestrian and bicyclist accessibility, and reinforcing existing infrastructure, a blueprint for safety and reliability envisioned for many years down the road.
The opening act, Phase 1, concentrates efforts on a segment from Henry Mayo Drive to the cusp of Rye Canyon Road, pledging to widen the road from two lanes to three in each direction; an effort to accommodate a burgeoning population of vehicles. The metamorphosis promises a slew of enhancements including not just new lanes, but redesigned intersections bedecked with sidewalks, parkways, medians, and bicycle lanes, topped off with state-of-the-art street lighting.
Proceeding to Phase 2, the project casts its gaze from the intersection with I-5 to the Magic Mountain Parkway, rendering what is now a simple two-lane road into a more spacious six-lane thoroughfare. This part of the project doesn't just expand the road – it includes the reconstruction of two critical bridges, one over the Santa Clara River and another over what was once claimed by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company railroad. Pedestrians too will find solace in the project’s scope, as sidewalks are set to skirt both flanks of The Old Road along the full extension of the improvement site.
In words conveyed by the L.A. County Public Works director, Mark Pestrella, P.E., to Kathryn Barger's office, "This project improves accessibility for communities that rely on The Old Road for commuting, commerce, and emergency access." Pestrella goes on to explicate how the upgrades are poised to scale up the corridor's ability to manage the increasing demands of traffic and channel safe, efficient transport, especially under emergency duress.
