Officials are advising drivers to follow a detour along Pass Avenue and Verdugo Avenue, which is mapped out through signs that dot the construction zone, officials said.
Most of the multimillion-dollar project is being funded through Caltrans, though Burbank has contributed $9 million to the project that started last April, Kriske said.
“We relocated an electrical substation and moved the existing Hollywood Way offramp,” he said. “We are within budget and on time, scheduled to finish the summer of 2010.”
Part of the motivation behind adding an onramp on Alameda Avenue is to ease the flow of congestion in one of the city’s main corridors that sits at the doorstep to Los Angeles and is close to some of Burbank’s major media studios, Caltrans spokeswoman Jeanne Bonfilio said
“What’s going to be great about this new onramp is that it will accommodate new traffic on the freeway,” she said. “Now, people coming east have to turn left and have to cross over traffic to get there. This will eliminate weaving across oncoming traffic to get to freeway. This is a great safety improvement to that entire onramp.”
Currently, an average of 12,100 cars enter the westbound onramp at Hollywood Way every day. On the eastbound side, an average of 8,100 cars enter the onramp daily, Bonfilio said.
“We know that the capacity for the westbound onramp traffic can be doubled,” she said.
But closures have rankled a few drivers who were initially unclear as to why the street was siphoned off, Kriske said.
“Initially, we had a few complaints, but after motorists got acquainted with the closure and signage, everything settled down,” he said.
Caltrans continues to monitor the area, work with local businesses and ensure that signs are in place and graffiti is cleaned up when it appears, Bonfilio said.
“We believe very strongly that this will improve traffic in the area and thank residents in the area for their patience and understanding through this improvement project,” she said.
