“At this point we are evaluating our data,” said Yoga Chandran, a member team studying the tunnel project. “Hopefully in a few months we will have some findings.”
Several residents questioned the high cost of the potential project and the more than $6-million cost of the current feasibility study at a time when the state is cutting billions of dollars from its budget.
“Those are great questions, but they are premature questions for tonight,” said Doug Failing, director of Caltrans District 7. “They are all appropriate questions should a decision to do an environmental study be made.”
Failing emphasized that an environmental study is not scheduled, but it could be initiated after the findings of the tunnel feasibility study.
Failing defended the 710 extension as one of the most important transportation project proposals that would ease traffic patterns and air quality problems.
“This is a good and wise investment to continue at this time,” he said.
The meeting comes after the state Senate’s approval Tuesday requiring any extension of the 710 freeway to be done via underground tunnel.
The state Assembly has not yet voted on it, but is scheduled to consider a bill written by local Assemblyman Anthony Portantino today that would direct Caltrans to sell the property it owns for the unconstructed surface right-of-way of the proposed 710 extension through Alhambra and Pasadena.
Caltrans has acquired more than 500 residential properties along the corridor since the 1950s in anticipation of building the extension, but since the project stalled against community opposition and multiple lawsuits, the agency essentially became a long-term property manager.
