Civic leaders, law enforcement and representatives of multiple transportation agencies gathered at City Hall Wednesday to discuss the I-5 Freeway construction in Santa Clarita and related traffic concerns, as well as the local allocation of funds from Measure M.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the Santa Clarita area, had each agency representative give an update on their current and planned projects in the area.

“For Santa Clarita, it’s fantastic because we’re all going to be talking with one voice, versus each city and the county talking but operating in different silos,” said Barger.

Carrie Bowen, district director at Caltrans, said billions of dollars were being invested in the Santa Clarita Valley, and acknowledged that the construction those dollars are funding makes travelling “difficult” in the meantime.

“For 2018, we have $18 billion (in) projects over the next four years. Going forward, it’s $8 billion more than we would normally have,” she said. “I’ve seen the line configurations change, and I appreciate your patience, those of you driving here in Santa Clarita, because I know it’s difficult.”

The project Bowen is referring to, the I-5 Roadway Rehabilitation Project, began in 2017 and is expected to construct new concrete pavement to produce a smoother ride for commuters by the end of 2019.

But Santa Clarita drivers have faced often stalled freeways as lanes shut down for crews to work.

The discussion comes on the heels of a unanimous approval from the Board of Supervisors, which joined Los Angeles County with the North Los Angeles County Transportation Coalition Joint Powers Authority, to make decisions about infrastructure throughout Santa Clarita and the rest of Los Angeles County with fewer bureaucratic slowdowns.

Barger has been named the county’s representative on the Joint Powers Authority board and will have the ability to appoint additional county representatives. Representatives from Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster are expected to be appointed as voting members of board

“The Joint Powers Authority is going to be critical to the region’s ability to plan and execute projects with revenues from Measure M,” said Barger. “Seeing this come to fruition was a major priority and we have positioned ourselves to succeed.”

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.