Overpass, budget related to it

Synopsis

There’s a fair amount of confusion regarding the upcoming work to be done on the Lindero overpass and on ramps. This is a very quick article to explain how much it will cost, and what will be done. In short, the city has already secured all but about $3 million for the project, and that number will very possibly be lower in the end.

Full Article

To start off, while the project will cost $18.5m, the city already has in place more than $15m in restricted funds to cover these costs (MTA grant, fees, and other sources). That means there’s currently about a $3m shortfall, but that will hopefully decrease as additional fund sources are pursued. While the city should probably be prepared to spend $3m, it’s very possible that this number will be quite a bit lower.

This project will take about 6 months to finish the planning stage. Once the planning is complete, the MTA reviews the plans, but the funds are not “tentative” … they have been approved. The city just needs to go through the planning stages, much of which is already complete.

There are 3 phases. Each will take 10-12 months — over the next few years.

First, the on ramp from Lindero South to 101 North will be expanded to two lanes. And, it’s possible that the Lindero North to 101 North on ramp may be optimized as well.

Second, the bridge will not be widened, but the median will be reduced to make for one additional lane in each direction on Lindero over the freeway. Based on the bridge’s original design, the additional weight needed is not an issue.

Third, when going from Agoura Road to Lindero North, there will be more capacity there. From Agoura W, there will now be two right turn lanes onto Lindero N. From Agoura E, there will now be two left turn lanes onto Lindero N. Both of these will be especially helpful with the office traffic during rush hour periods.

This work is at the option and discretion of the city, and contrary to rumor, it has not been mandated by any state nor other government entity. It is something the city has determined it needs to do to help with traffic issues.