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OPENING: officials at the event from (l-r) Pico Rivera Councilman Andrew C. Lara, Mayor pro tem Eric Lutz, Mayor Dr. Monica Sanchez, and Councilman Gustavo Camacho. Also attending were Rep. Grace Napolitano, Rep. Linda Sánchez, and ERUSD Supt. Dr. Frances Esparza.
By Tammye McDuff
May 27, 2022~After two and a half years of planning and construction, the Durfee Grade Separation is finally completed. To mark the completion, city officials joined officials from the federal government, ACE, and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments with a grand opening ceremony this past Wednesday, May 25.
Durfee Ave. opened the next day, Thursday, May 26 at 10 am.
A stretch of Durfee Ave. in Pico Rivera has remained closed for approximately 27 months. Workers constructed a two-lane roadway underpass and a railroad bridge to carry freight trains over the lowered roadway. While Durfee was closed to traffic at the railroad crossing between Walnut Avenue and Stephens Street, local access to businesses, residences, and schools remained open.
Residents can now drive, bike, or walk, with ease knowing they no longer have to worry about oncoming train trafficand emergency vehicles will now have a clear path when responding to emergencies.
The grade separation project will eliminate collisions, train horn noise and delays for emergency responders to improve safety at the Pico Rivera railroad crossing.
ARTIST’S RENDITION: After 2.5 years, the Durfee Grade Separation is finished. Pico Rivera city officials joined officials from the federal government and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments for the grand opening ceremony Wednesday, May 25. Durfee opened the next day.
The Durfee crossing is used by 13,600 vehicles every day, it continues. There have been nine collisions at the intersection since 1981 and four of those involved a fatality.
The city would like to thank all residents and local businesses for their patience and understanding while Durfee was closed due to the construction activities.
The $107.8 million project is just one of 19 roadway-rail grade separation projects overseen by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, which seeks safety improvements along the high-volume freight rail corridor running through the San Gabriel Valley.
