Karen S. Kim
The construction of a sound-wall on the Ventura (134) Freeway will
close down ramps, lanes and connectors in Glendale over the next 14
months, but city officials and merchants don't seem too concerned
about it.
"They do not do construction during the peak freeway hours so it
does not divert cars to other freeway interchanges or local streets,"
Glendale Traffic and Transportation Administrator Jano Baghdanian
said Monday. "We make sure we work with Caltrans so it does not
impact the freeway mainline."
Caltrans has begun work on a $2.8-million project to build a
0.4-mile sound-wall on both sides of the Ventura Freeway between
Concord Street and Columbus Avenue in Glendale. The project will
close the offramps and onramps of San Fernando Road, Pacific Avenue
and Central Avenue nights and early mornings until December 2003.
The project will also require closing two lanes of the eastbound
Ventura Freeway from San Fernando Road to Pacific Avenue and the
northbound Golden State (5) Freeway connector to the eastbound
Ventura Freeway at night and in the morning.
The sound-wall, which has been on Caltrans' list of projects for
years, is expected to reduce average noise levels by 8 decibels,
Caltrans Spokeswoman Judy Gish said.
The noise reduction will be worth its trouble, Councilman Frank
Quintero said.
"The public might be inconvenienced, but for those neighborhoods,
it's essential that they be given some protection from the freeway
noise," he said.
Baghdanian said Glendale's traffic staff would work closely with
Caltrans and monitor the "trouble" to make sure the city's drivers
are not severely affected.
"We're fully working with Caltrans," he said. "This is quite
common, and I've never seen it become a problem."
Downtown Glendale Merchants Assn. President Leslyn Ray, whose
members are located off the closed freeway ramps, said the project
won't have too much effect on merchants.
"I don't think it will affect too many businesses," she said.
"There will be those that it will affect but, overall, I don't think
there will be too many because the majority of the businesses open at
11 a.m. and close up shop at the latest, 10 p.m."
