New medians coming to Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas




MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn  CONGESTION-Traffic along Las Virgenes Road near the 101 Freeway in Calabasas must navigate around safety cones while construction continues on the center median beautification project.

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn CONGESTION-Traffic along Las Virgenes Road near the 101 Freeway in Calabasas must navigate around safety cones while construction continues on the center median beautification project.


By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

Construction work continues on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas as part of a beautification project. The city has been planning for more than four years to make the medians on Las Virgenes similar to others in nearby neighborhoods, according to Calabasas public works director/city engineer Charles Mink.


Workers began the project about three months ago and they’re about halfway finished.


"They’re installing a median and landscaping it," Mink said. "They’re not doing any work outside of that, other than connecting to an irrigation line for the median."


Mink expects the project to be completed in May.


"This is part of the Las Virgenes corridor master plan," Mink said. Other improvements include resurfacing the road along the median project. The overlay will begin this spring—probably in May. It should be completed by the end of July, according to Mink.


Some residents expressed traffic concerns early regarding the median project, according to Mink. But he added, "I think we got that pretty much down as of this last week," Mink said. "We did a bunch of modifications out there in regards to temporary lanes. I think the majority of the problem is resolved."


Regarding the overlay project, "We’ll make sure that we’re paving one lane at a time, not interfering (with traffic). And we’ll make sure that the traffic can keep moving," Mink said. "Also, this project is being done over the summer months, which has a different impact than during the regular year," he said, referring to less traffic.


"The problem as we see it," Mink said, "is that Caltrans controls the signals at the ramps (to the freeway) and they give preferential treatment for people getting off the freeway. That, in turn, delays the cross movements."


Caltrans will adjust the timing of Las Virgenes Road signal lights during the median and overlay projects—as long as it doesn’t impair traffic flow at the off-ramps, Mink said.


"It’s their signal and they control it, and we have little—if anything other than talking to them—to do with it," Mink said.


Various sources contributed to funding for the median project, including bridge and thoroughfare money from developers and a $250,000 federal grant that the city, by way of U.S. Rep Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), obtained about two years ago. Calabasas is paying for the overlay project with gasoline tax revenue, which can only be used for street maintenance.


Calabasas isn’t using any money from its general fund on either project, Mink said.


"This project," Mink said, "should add some of the character that this side of town needs to keep things (consistent). . . . It’s called a beautification project, and so that’s what it should do."


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