About five years ago, a group of Encino residents got wind that a pedestrian bridge on Encino Avenue over the 101 Freeway was to be demolished and then rebuilt.
They weren’t opposed to the demolition, but they were opposed to the estimated $20 million to rebuild a bridge barely anyone used, and they felt the money could be better spent repairing Encino’s infrastructure, streets and sidewalks.
So, they organized and got federal, state, county and city government representatives involved to helping them win their case.
“It looks as though we accomplished what we wanted … and the $18 million can be saved and used for a more worthy project,” said Encino resident Marshall Barth, 84, who has lived on Encino Avenue south of the freeway two decades. “One of the reasons I have lived so long is that I swore I would not leave this Earth until that bridge was down. Every once in a while, you can fight City Hall.”
Caltrans will close all lanes on the 101 Freeway between White Oak Avenue and Balboa Boulevard from 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 until 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 to demolish the Encino Avenue pedestrian bridge — due to its low height over the freeway, also known as a nonstandard vertical clearance.
Caltrans does not have plans to rebuild the bridge, according to a spokeswoman, but is working to upgrade nearby crossing points along the corridor to ensure pedestrians and bicyclists have improved and safer access across the freeway.
Glenn Bailey, an Encino resident, said there have been concerns about the height of the bridge because it’s been hit by trucks on the freeway that are higher now than trucks that used the freeway when the bridge was built.
He cited other reasons to demolish the bridge, saying that when he visited it a few months ago, “I had heard reports of it deteriorating and I wanted to see for myself — and I saw that the rebar is rusting, the cement is cracked. … When the freeway was first built the intention was — because they did take homes out — to allow community connections (to schools for example), and they did that by putting in these pedestrian bridges.”
The following ramps will also close during this operation:
Reseda Boulevard and White Oak Avenue on-ramps to south U.S. 101
Balboa Boulevard and Haskell Avenue on-ramps to north U.S. 101
North and south connector from Interstate 405 to north U.S. 101
Motorists are advised to use an alternate route or follow detour signs to exit at Balboa, Victory or Ventura boulevards. In addition to the full closure on Saturday, up to three lanes in each direction of U.S. 101 may close beginning as soon as 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, and ending at 10 a.m. the following morning. Two lanes in each direction will remain open during this time.
Real-time traffic information can be found at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.
All work is subject to change due to weather or construction-related issues.
