The Cross Valley Connector is set to open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and will connect Highway 14 with Interstate 5, using Golden Valley Road and Newhall Ranch Roads.

To celebrate the opening of the 8.5 mile roadway, the City of Santa Clarita will host a grand opening party on the Newhall Ranch Road side of the recently completed 1,100 ft bridge connecting the two roads.

KHTS held a contest asking why residents are excited the cross valley connector is complete.  The winners will be given a once in a lifetime opportunity to be the first people to cross the new bridge in the famous Wells Fargo Stage Coach.

The runners up for the contest will be given a ride across the bridge in three vintage cars.

The winners and runners up, as well as their winning essays are listed below:

Winners

1.  Ann Fry

All those lonely drives through Santa Clarita streets will no longer make me weep anymore. And despite what my grandchildren may think about my longevity, I have never ridden in a stagecoach. At least not that I can remember. I am excited about entering this contest and living in the senior apartments on Bouquet Canyon Road, I enthusiastically welcome a chance to save gas money and time while traveling across town. I can prove my enthusiasm, since we all know the media doesn’t lie, I write a column in the Senior Center’s newspaper, “The “Mighty Oak.” In the March edition I wrote, “New to the Neighborhood” and promoted the opening of the Cross Valley Connector. Of course, winner or not I do plan to attend and report on the opening for the Mighty Oak with camera in hand! (Don’t believe the rumors that the Mighty Oak has started to fall since I started writing a column.)

2.  Carol Marino

I am so excited for the Santa Clarita Valley Cross-Valley Connector to open!  I have lived and worked in this incredible city for 16 years and have seen many wonderful changes take place, and this is going to be a REALLY BIG ONE!  My husband and I live in Canyon Country and I work in Valencia, We also have two teenagers at Canyon High School, who are constantly needing to be driven across town: to meet with friends, get to scheduled: dermotology, doctor, dentist, and orthodontist appointments, attend school sporting and theater events, ice skate at the Ice Station, go the mall, use their Magic Mountain and Hurricane  Harbor season passes- (Who wouldn’t have passes when you live in the S.C.V.), and countless other reasons to cross the valley.

The Santa Clarita Valley is the best place to live.  It is a city that listens to the voices of the residents, and allows them to participate in the development of the community:  the parks, residential and business development, fighting large mining companies from coming in, and the traffic flow and parking needs. And how many communities have their own radio station to keep the residents informed of wonderful events such as this one? I have personally been involved in each of these facets of our communty development, and would be incredibly honored to be selected to participate in such a memorable occassion, as the grand opening of the Cross Valley Connector, and even better yet- to be one of the first to cross it AND be riding in the famous Wells Fargo Stage Coach!

3.  Susan Cuffari

I am excited the Cross Valley Connector is complete for many reasons.  Mainly saving money.  As a single mother with children I must drive them to school and then get across town to Canyon Country to work.  This connecter will enable me to get to work faster, with spending less money on gas and more time eating breakfast with my kids.  I also believe it will enable us to have the motivation to go to the other side of Bouquet to attend functions use the aquatic center and enjoy all this valley has to offer.

4.  Kristijana Hordov

My name is Kristijana Hordov and I am about to be 13 yrs old. (On the 25th.) I was born in Henry Mayo Memorial Hospital and I have lived here ever since. I am an honors student and I love Santa Clarita, my home. I think that Santa Clarita is an amazing place and I hope that one day I will have the honor of being the mayor. 
I am so excited for the Cross Valley Connector! This building project will not only make the daily routine of my family easier, but the whole community! I am very proud that I can say, “See how caring the City of Santa Clarita is! See what they have done for our community! Yes, it was Santa Clarita, Awesometown!”. I would be thrilled if I could be one of the first four to ride across it, especially in the Wells Fargo carriage!

Runners Up

1.  Elizabeth Hoffman

I am very excited the cross town valley connector is completed because this will help to ease traffic to all Santa Clarita residents and for me especially, this means as a pet sitter I can now make visits to my pet clients in an efficient and timely manner around the Santa Clarita Valley!  I have always wanted to ride a stagecoach and on this special day, it would be a meaningful and significant way for me to help celebrate the opening of the cross town connector bridge.

2.  John Buccola

We moved to Valencia in early 2009 and haven’t stopped raving about the Santa Clarita Valley. This valley’s positive vibes (or maybe us talking about how much we love SCV?) must have convinced wife’s sister Carmen and her husband Dan to move here, and they bought their place in Canyon Country in September.  Carmen is pregnant with her first baby, and we can’t wait for our 2 little boys to have a cousin nearby.  The CVC will allow our families to spend a few extra precious moments together.  If I win this contest, I plan to stream my ride in the Wells Fargo stagecoach over the internet using a laptop webcam and high speed wireless connection.  It will be a keepsake for my new niece or nephew, one for the historical significance, and two for the role CVC will play in bringing us closer together.

3.  Mona Huckaby

Hi my name is Mona Huckaby and I am so excited about the connector bridge.  I have been waiting and listening to when it would be finished.  I live in Val Verde and work in Canyon Country and go to school at College of the Canyons in Canyon Country.  Every day, I make the long drive across Newhall land to Bouquet and up Soledad Canyon Road.  The New Bridge is such a blessing, it will allow me to save on time and gas to get to work and school.  I moved here 10 years ago and I love Santa Clarita.  My family has forever been changed by living in this community and am very proud to call it my home.  I would love to be able to ride in the stage coach across the bridge for the first time on March 27th.