Below are some recent updates on Metro and Caltrans freeway expansion projects in the San Gabriel Valley and Gateway Cities subregions.
57/60 Construction A Year Behind Schedule
Remember the expansion of the confluence of the 57 and 60 Freeways where construction kicked off in mid-2023? The half-billion dollar project adds one more general purpose lane, adds new flyover on-/off-ramps, a widened bridge, widened nearby roads, and more. The Metro-Caltrans project is mostly funded by Metro, and construction is being managed by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG).
Construction, originally expected to be completed in July 2028, is visibly well underway. As of May, construction was 33 percent complete.
But there has been a snag.
According to a Caltrans presentation earlier this month, 57/60 construction is "approximately 236 working days (1 calendar year) behind schedule." Nine months' delay is attributed to the contractor having missed notifying Southern California Edison (SCE) on time. Then SCE work was delayed an additional four months due to SCE responding to the Eaton Fire.
At the July Metro Board Construction Committee meeting, SGVCOG Director of Capital Projects Kevin Lai stressed that there is "no budget adjustment" (no cost overrun) yet, because the project team is looking to recoup most or all of that time by "re-staging" certain work, and by shortening time allotted for bridge abutment settling.
71 Freeway Construction Wrapping Up
Caltrans and Metro anticipate current 71 Freeway (South Segment) construction will be substantially complete by October 31 this year.
Located in the city of Pomona, the 1.5-mile project is expanding the existing four-lane highway to eight lanes. Home demolitions got underway in 2019. Construction got underway in 2021, and was anticipated to be completed in 2024. The initial (South) segment was shortened from 2 miles to ~1.5 miles as the cost increased from $174 million to more than $180 million.
There is more Metro/Caltrans 71 Freeway widening on the way. The South Segment is less than half of the roughly four-mile 71 widening. The California Transportation Commission recently approved $80 million for the next phase, called the North Segment.
605 Mega-Expansion Not Ruling Out Property Takes
When Metro and Caltrans announced their 2020 plans for the $5+ billion 605 Freeway Corridor Improvement Project, they anticipated tearing down over 300 homes, mostly in the city of Downey. The mega-project would expand not just 12+ miles of the 605, but also several miles of the 5, 10, 60, and 105 Freeways.
After widespread resistance, Metro announced in 2023 that the project footprint had been scaled back and would not displace any residential properties.
Since Metro's unambiguous 2023 "no residential displacements" announcement, Metro and Caltrans highway builders have been using less definitive language, leading to speculation that home demolitions might be creeping back into 605CIP plans. Last summer, Metro announced "some partial acquisitions might be needed, but no residential relocations are required."
Last month's Metro Board Planning Committee presentation listed a 605CIP "challenge" that "some partial right of way may be needed."
Metro staff anticipate that the 605CIP will return to the Metro Board in September or October with a funding request for further technical studies and design work. Metro staff have been meeting with corridor cities to craft the multimodal lipstick for this pig. One "multimodal" component Metro is considering: "provide roadway connections to transit stations."
SGVCOG to Build 605/Valley Boulevard Project
In order to set the stage for 605 mega-expansion, Metro and Caltrans have been working with on several smaller "605 Hot Spots" projects, mostly reconfiguring/widening on-/off-ramps.
These smaller-scale 605 Hot Spots expansions are located at Valley Boulevard (in the city of Industry and unincorporated Avocado Heights), South Street (city of Cerritos), Beverly Boulevard (city of Whittier), and three locations along the 91 Freeway.
This month there was a bit of news on the ~$50 million Metro/Caltrans 605 Hot Spot project at Valley Boulevard: construction will be managed by the SGVCOG. The arrangement is similar to the 57/60 project above.
At this month's Planning Committee meeting, Metro staff noted that there are outstanding right-of-way issues on the Valley/605 project. The Metro board already approved two eminent domain sites (a vacant lot, and a narrow sliver off of the commercial property where Tacos Galivan is located). Once right-of-way issues are resolved, construction is expected to break ground this year.
