KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Time will tell if the project will become a reality.
In an effort to come up with ways to ease traffic congestion on the I-5 through the Newhall Pass, the Golden State Gateway Coalition has been lobbying to get a new roadway project approved by the state. The project would consist of adding 11 miles of truck lanes north of the I-5/Highway 14 connector.
The project comes with an estimated price tag of $117.5 million dollars, however, a big chunk of that won’t be paid by taxpayers. “More than half of the project is being funded by the private sector,” said Victor Lindenheim, who represents the Coalition.
Lindenheim brought the issue to Sacramento with the group of 55 Santa Clarita community members earlier this week. The group pushed the topic with Caltrans Director Will Kempton, who explained that the State’s Transportation Commission passed over the project not long ago in favor of some Los Angeles Port related projects.
However, Kempton praised the project, noting that anytime the State can separate cars from trucks a safer driving environment is created. He was also very enthusiastic about the fact that partial funding was already in place.
“This has been a very good example of the private sector working cooperatively with the public sector to get something done,” Kempton told KHTS.
The best avenue for the Coalition to take from now on, according to Kempton, was to keep pushing the project; keeping it on the State’s mind.
He felt that the project was a good one, and he vowed to do everything he could to make it happen.
The read a full wrap-up of the Sacramento Trip, click here.
