The $286 billion highway spending bill signed by President Bush last Wednesday contains four items of special significance to the Malibu region, congressional sources say. Also, money will go toward projects in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area
Overflow northbound traffic from the 405 frequently ends up on Pacific Coast Highway and clogs Westside Los Angeles streets. But now with the headline item of the bill-a $130 million down payment on the planned addition of a carpool lane on the northbound 405 San Diego Freeway from Westwood to Sherman Oaks-traffic might ease up a bit. Although that amount is far short of the $500 million necessary to add a fifth lane to the freeway through the Sepulveda Pass, Rep. Howard Berman said the appropriation would enable the California Department of Transportation to start the project.
A southbound 405 carpool lane has already been built, and carpool lanes are either built or under construction on either side of the gap.
The massive spending bill also contains $4 million for the Kanan Road interchange on the Ventura Freeway; part of that $23 million project will get underway this year.
Tunnels on Malibu Canyon and Kanan Dume roads will get new linings and other repairs as a result of the $2.4 million appropriation.
Northwest of Malibu, the Highway 1 bypass around Oxnard will be bolstered with appropriations totaling $4.76 million. Although those projects are primarily aimed at taking truck traffic from Port Hueneme to the Ventura Freeway off Oxnard streets, Malibu traffic will be affected as Highway 1 is eventually relocated to Rice Avenue east of Oxnard.
Part of this year’s appropriation will build an overpass for Rice Avenue and the new Highway 1 to cross Lewis Road and the Union Pacific railroad tracks.
Also included in the bill is $200,000 for the completion of the Backbone Trail, which goes through the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and extends 60 miles and links more than 480 miles of trails through 80,000 acres of parkland. Another $400,00 will be used to purchase the remaining parcels of private land along the trail.