La Mirada~About 100 residents showed up this past Tuesday evening  for the Valley View Avenue Grade Separation Community Meeting hosted by the cities of La Mirada and Santa Fe Springs at the La Mirada Activity Center. 

La Mirada residents look at the plans

The long awaited $75 million project-which is fully funded-is a joint effort between the two cities, Caltrans and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF).

By creating an underpass at the railroad tracks, the project will lower the Valley View/Stage Road intersection, eliminating the railroad crossing, allowing trains to cross over Valley View on a bridge.

With no train delays, this will enable traffic to flow freely, minimize delays, dramatically improve public safety, and reduce noise at the intersection.

The proposed construction schedule has most of the major work beginning early 2011 and continuing through mid-2013.

Most of the residents at the meeting live in the adjacent areas of the project. Their main concern was the hopeful reduction of train horns-a nuisance to a lot of residents for many years.

"I am here to tell you that when this project is completed, the train horns will be significantly decreased, although not entirely eliminated", said Steve Forester, La Mirada Public Works Director.

During the course of the job, there are two planned weekend closures, and Stage Road will be closed to through traffic at Valley View for approximately two years. La Mirada residents will still be able to access Castellon Road off of Stage and the Santa Fe Springs businesses north of Stage, will still have accessibility.

With delays expected during construction, commuters are encouraged to seek alternative routes which are available on the project's extensive website; the site also includes live animation depicting the completed intersection: www.vvgs.org.