SCV bridge-widening construction to begin Tuesday

Construction on the $16 million Newhall Ranch Road Bridge Widening Project kicks off Tuesday, city officials said Friday.

The project, designed to improve traffic flow and increase pedestrian and cyclist safety, in the area between Avenue Tibbitts/ Dickason Drive and McBean Parkway on Newhall Ranch Road will be completed by October of 2018.

“We look forward to its completion and the extra safety and ease of passage it will bring to cyclists, pedestrians and drivers,” City Communications Manager Carrie Lujan said.

Additionally, the median will be raised, a protected pedestrian walkway will be built and a bike trail will be constructed under the bridge. Both directions of the bridge will remain open during construction.

Officials could not confirm on Friday if the work would be conducted only at night, as one person reported.

The first phase of the project will focus on modifications to the traffic signal at Newhall Ranch Road and Avenue Tibbitts. Additionally, new traffic signs and lane stripes will be added and demolition work will be done on the south side of the bridge. By the completion of the project there will be four lanes in each direction.

Construction will happen in phases, beginning with the expansion of the south side of the bridge, then the median and concluding with the north side. Three lanes will be open in each direction at all times.

Funding for the bridge widening was a collaborative effort between the city, Los Angeles County, the Federal Highway Administration and the California Department of Transportation.

The project is in alignment with the 2020 plan theme of building and creating community.

To learn more about the project, contact Project Manager Balvinder Sandhu at (661) 255-4954 or bsandhu@santa-clarita.com.