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Del Amo and Bloomfield Gas Co. Project Will Impact Traffic for Weeks


By Brian Hews

The Southern California Gas Company will be performing a “valve automation test” to ensure the structural integrity of a high pressure gas line that runs under Del Amo Blvd. at the intersection of Del Amo and Bloomfield.

The project will last for at least eleven weeks, according to city officials and started this past Monday Feb 1.

The project is actually in Lakewood but encroaches into Cerritos, and the Gas Co. had to pull encroachment permits with Cerritos.

It is a large project necessitating the placement of K-rails and “impact attenuators,” which are the barrels placed at the point of the K-rails to prevent direct impact by a wayward automobile.

As of press time, city officials told HMG-CN that westbound Del Amo east of Bloomfield will be down to one lane approximately one-half mile from the intersection; it was unknown how the eastbound lanes will be affected.

  • Diesel Pusher Prevost RV says:

    Traffic in this area for the next 3 months is gridlocked, the traffic is backing up on to the Del Amo Bridge. How will this extra weight from this bumper to bumper traffic, impact the structure of this old bridge, since the Del Amo bridge is very old and weak in structure?

    Del Amo Boulevard is a major east-west connector road, and heavily used for > 180,000 cars per week. This construction site is very disturbing to the residents who have to use this on a day to day basis, especially for the students being transported through this construction zone: ABC-Los Alamitos-Cypress/Anaheim SD.

    How come the gas company is not employing flag men to regulate the traffic flow in this area? Each day there’s a traffic accident from the temporary K rails.

  • City of La Palma says:

    The La Palma Avenue/Del Amo Boulevard Bridge over the Coyote Creek was constructed in 1965
    and was taken out of the National Highway System in 1998. La Palma/Del Amo Boulevard is
    classified as a major arterial street. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Local
    Highway Bridge Program lists the bridge as “structurally deficient”, making it potentially eligible
    for federal funding. The bridge carries over 20,000 vehicles per day and directly serves the cities
    of La Palma, Cypress, Cerritos, and Lakewood; and significant portions of Orange and Los
    Angeles Counties.
    The existing bridge is approximately 37 feet wide. The bridge narrows from four lanes to two, with
    the east and west approaches on a vertical and horizontal curve. This curve, when combined with
    the reduction in traffic lanes, significantly constricts traffic flow and presents traffic safety
    concerns. Further, the subject bridge does not provide sufficient pedestrian or bicyclist access
    and does not meet current ADA standards for sidewalks.
    Replacing the bridge with a four-lane bridge would greatly improve motorist and pedestrian safety.
    Proposed improvements include elimination of the existing horizontal curve and re-alignment with
    the existing roadway approaches on either side of the bridge. The new bridge will also be brought
    into compliance with ADA compliant sidewalks. The re-alignment would also include a Class I
    bikeway with connection from the east to west.
    Agenda Item 5
    Page 2
    In recent years, the City has joined the Cities of Cerritos and Lakewood in applying for several
    federal grants to rebuild the bridge. Unfortunately, the cities have not received funding for the
    project. During the most recent grant process, Cerritos staff was notified that the project would
    have been considered for funding if it was “shovel-ready,” and had preliminary design work and
    environmental studies complete. Therefore La Palma seeks to begin preparations to request
    CTFP grant application funds under the Arterial Capacity Enhancement (ACE) program through
    the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). The City of Cerritos has requested Measure
    R funds through the regional body Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG). This COG
    aims to improve the region’s transportation, air quality, housing, and economic development.
    The preliminary design and environmental work is estimated to cost approximately $3.5 million.
    As approximately 40% of the bridge is located in Orange County, La Palma submitted a grant
    application to use $1.2 million of Measure M2 funds for the preliminary work. The grant application
    package was submitted to the OCTA on October 23, 2015. OCTA is currently reviewing all the
    grant applications. At the same time, Cerritos obtained $2.2 million in Los Angeles County
    Measure R funds for this work through the COG.
    If Measure M2 and R funds are allocated to the project, Cerritos will serve as the lead agency and
    staff will proceed with obtaining environmental and engineering related services from qualified
    firms through a Request for Proposal process and submit a recommendation for Council
    consideration.
    In order to secure the grant funds, the City is required to adopt a Resolution requesting the OCTA
    allocate funds in the amount specified in the City’s application from the CTFP. The funds shall
    be matched by funds from the City as required and shall be used as supplemental funding to aid
    in the design, engineering, and environmental work for the La Palma Avenue/Del Amo Boulevard
    Bridge Replacement Project in the City of La Palma (ACE -Application for the Engineering Phase).
    If La Palma is unable to secure M2 funding, the project will not proceed at this time.
    The United States government is proposing to spend $478 billion on the nation’s roads, bridges,
    transit systems, and railways over the next six years. If the preliminary design and environmental
    work for the La Palma/Del Amo Bridge replacement are funded and completed, the cities will
    apply for a federal grant to continue and build the project.

    The following La Palma City Council Agenda has been posted to the City’s website and is available for viewing:

    Regular Meeting – February 16
    [http://www.cityoflapalma.org/Archive.aspx?ADID=1913]
    Del Amo Bridge Study
    http://www.cityoflapalma.org/DocumentCenter/View/5910