Section will link the I-5, 126 to city.

A new portion of the Cross Valley Connector is all set to open on April 23rd at 10:00am.

The 1.6 mile piece will connect the I-5 and 126 to Copperhill and Rye Canyon Road.

“We were able to successfully work with the area businesses, our contractor, C.A. Rasmussen, and local utility companies including The Gas Company and Southern California Edison, to enable this important portion of the Cross Valley Connector to be completed five months ahead of schedule,” Robert Newman, Director of Public Works for the City said in a statement.

Santa Clarita officials and employees worked hard to expedite the project, which is opening a full 6 months ahead of schedule. One of the reasons for this is that merchants in the Gateway Village Shopping Center have been somewhat cut off by the construction. The city worked to provide some access to their stores, but the completion of this road will open access fully.  

“We are absolutely ecstatic about this early opening of the roadway.  It will mean a lot to the businesses of the Gateway Village Shopping Center and to the companies in the industrial center,” commented Kevin Leahy, store owner of Candleman in the Gateway Village Center.

With a price tag of $31 million, the City says that the road will help ease traffic through town. The costs were paid for by a federal appropriation, courtesy of Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon, a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, bridge and thoroughfare developer fees received from the County of Los Angeles and funds from Newhall Land.

The rest of the Cross Valley Connector between Bouquet Canyon Road and Golden Valley, is still under construction.