State hiway men disclose ideas for new freeway

A gigantic new freeway to solve a gigantic new traffic problem.

This was the plan outlined by officials of the State Highway Department to residents of Mint and Soledad Canyons, at a standing-room-only meeting Wednesday night at the Sulphur Springs School.

It was disclosed that the State favors, and will probably decide to build the new Lang-Vincent interior line which just about splits the area enclosed between Mint and Soledad Canyons.

It was further revealed that the State engineers have envisaged this new lien as an ultimate eightlane limited access freeway, with a minimum of curves and no grades steeper than five percent.

Admittedly, the final attainment of this great new traffic artery is well into the future on dates — five to ten years was the estimate of the speakers.

LARGE MAPS SHOWN

To give an easier conception of the plans, the walls of the Sulphur Springs auditorium were lined with huge aerial photo murals of the territory on which had been drawn the courses of the highways.

Roughly, the new Antelope Valley Freeway will take off from U.S. 6 a little south of the river. The present bridge will be augmented by another parallel span. The route then bypasses Solemint Junction to swing east along the general line of the existing Soledad Canyon road as far as Lang. Here it swings left into Bee and Spring Canyons for a wholly new cut-off line, which sweeps northeast to rejoin Sierra Hiway in the general neighborhood of the Governor mine.

It was forcibly brought out that the State wil turn the present Mint and Soledad Canyon roads back to the County after the new freeway is completed. County Road Commissioner Sam R. Kennedy said that these two lines would always be regarded as important roads to be maintained.

TRAFFIC FLOODS LOOM

To ilustrate the magnitude of the traffic problem, State Highway men informed the Signal that the present, two-lane Mint Canyon highway was carrying average of 11,000 vehicles per day, and that by 1980 this volume would jump to 40 or 50 thousand.

Spectators at teh meeting listened to the talks with the most serious attention, and a great many questions were asked from the floor. Most of these concerned the probable fate of existing properties on the present highway.

District Engineer George Langsner, of the State Highway Department acted as chairman of the meeting. Also present were A. L. Hutchison, assistant engineer, Senior Highway Engineer J. M. Reynolds and L. R. Gillis of the engineering staff. L. A. Road Commissioner Sam Kennedy made a talk and answered many question. The federal bureau of public roads was represented by Engineer Le-Grone.