California panel OKs grant funds for grade separations

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has approved $78 million in grant funding for two projects to separate the roadway from hazardous crossings along the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) freight-rail corridor in eastern Los Angeles County.

The grants are included in the 2018 Trade Corridor Enhancement Program adopted by the commission and funded with revenue from the new SB1 state tax on diesel fuel and from the state's share of federal freight highway funds, according to a CTC press release.

"This action demonstrates the CTC's commitment to using SB1 revenues for needed transportation improvements to maintain our state's vital trade economy and to construct them in a timely manner," said Mark Christoffels, Chief Engineer of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, which oversees the ACE construction program.

The grant program will contribute $49 million toward construction of a $128.61 million roadway underpass on Montebello Boulevard in Montebello, California, and $29 million toward an $86.2 million roadway overpass on Turnbull Canyon Road in Industry and unincorporated Los Angeles County.

The Montebello crossing is the second most-hazardous freight-rail crossing in Los Angeles County and the Turnbull Canyon crossing will see a near tripling of rail traffic over 20 years, CTC officials said.

Both projects are entering the final design phase, with construction anticipated to begin before summer 2020.

The Trade Corridor Enhancement Program will provide a total of $1.394 billion for 39 infrastructure improvements statewide along corridors that have a high volume of freight movement.