By Mary O’KEEFE

The Foothill Boulevard median project that has been discussed for about two decades is finally a reality. Construction began on Sept. 4 with trucks in the center lane, red flags and warning lights.

“The bulk of the construction, including installation of the community monument signs, will be completed by Thanksgiving,” said Steven Frasher, Los Angeles County Public Works spokesman.

The work began at Briggs Avenue and will stretch west to Pennsylvania Avenue along Foothill Boulevard. The work will be done on the medians from Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“The County received requests from the community to complete construction as quickly as possible. As a result, the contractor has been authorized to work on weekends and holidays to expedite the work. Limiting work hours for the contractor would extend the duration of the construction and leave traffic control in place longer than the currently scheduled two months,” Frasher said.

The project was scheduled with Caltrans 210 work in mind. Public Works waited until Caltrans was scheduled to be finished; however, additional work on the Foothill (210) and Glendale (2) freeways was added to the original schedule.

The fall start is also advantageous to the landscape-intensive project, giving new trees and plants a better chance for survival, Frasher said.

“And allows the County to conserve water during the plant establishment period,” he added.

The medians will include California native plants and other drought-resistant vegetation.

There will not be a median in front of the Ralph’s Marketplace in the 2600 block of Foothill Boulevard. There will be a break in front of the La Crescenta Library in the 2800 block of Foothill Boulevard so as to not interfere with the left-hand turning lanes at La Crescenta Avenue and Foothill.

The idea of medians along Foothill Boulevard has been talked about and planned on-and-off for the last two decades. Plans for this version of the medians began in 2013. Over the years, the Crescenta Valley Town Council held several meetings concerning the project and in 2016 held community meetings with LA County Public Works.

  Mary Okeefe