An Interstate 5 freeway project in Orange County and preliminary work on a light rail transit line in southeast Los Angeles County are among the recipients of the first round of grants given out Monday from Gov. Jerry Brown’s massive gas tax transportation bill.
The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, or SB 1, aims to raise more than $5 billion annually for road repairs and transportation projects through a gas tax increase, and Caltrans awarded a total of $173.4 million in its first round of Local Partnership Program grants for 57 projects submitted by 32 agencies.
“These grants will act as matching funds for local entities that have already chosen to make their own extra investments in transportation,” Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said. “Through SB 1, local agencies can have the funding to do their part in helping us rebuild California’s transportation infrastructure.”
Some L.A. County projects that are receiving funding includes $23.94 million for preliminary design and engineering of a light rail transit line that would extend approximately 20 miles from southeast Los Angeles County to downtown Los Angeles; $19.75 million to continue environmental study and preliminary engineering of a light rail transit line extension from the city of Redondo Beach to the city of Torrance; and $14.81 million for an expanded mezzanine at the Metro Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station.
In Orange County, the I-5 Improvement Project from State Route 73 to Oso Parkway will receive $18.24 million and add one general purpose lane in each direction, auxiliary lanes where needed, as well as the reconstruction of interchanges at Avery Parkway.
–City News Service