Work to Link Freeways May Start in April

Work on the long-awaited connector for the Simi Valley and Moorpark freeways could begin in April if a low bid on the project submitted by a Simi Valley firm is approved, state transportation officials said.

C. A. Rasmussen Inc. submitted a bid of $33 million, $10 million less than estimated, state Department of Transportation officials said. Rasmussen, which would be project manager, would do the work with Sacramento-based C. C. Myers Inc., a bridge-building company.

The bid must go through a 30- to 45-day review, said Bill Charbonneau, Caltrans director of construction and maintenance projects in Ventura County. He said the review is simply to ensure that Rasmussen has the necessary financing and insurance that it needs to proceed with the project. He said he does not expect any problems.

“It’ll be approved; there’s no doubt about it,” Charbonneau said of the company’s bid, one of eight submitted last week to Caltrans. Bids ranged from $33 million to $45 million.

Charbonneau said the primary reason that Rasmussen could submit such a low bid is because it is a local company. He said a slight design change on the freeway connector also helped reduce the cost.

If all goes as planned, construction could begin in early April, and the connector could be operational within two years, Rasmussen officials said.

“We’re ready to roll,” said Connie Ferrey, a company spokeswoman. Ferrey said Rasmussen officials plan to meet with Moorpark and Simi Valley officials this week to discuss details of the company’s plans.

She said it is not clear how traffic on nearby roads would be affected during construction, but she said the company is working on plans to address that issue.

The four-lane freeway connector, which has been in the planning stages for more than six years, will close a 2.2-mile gap where the Simi Valley and Moorpark freeways end in Moorpark, and is expected to make a smoother commute for motorists traveling between Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley.

Funding for the freeway link was delayed until the passage of Proposition 111 in June, when voters agreed to raise gas taxes to finance a variety of statewide transportation projects.

Moorpark Mayor Paul Lawrason said linking the freeways will substantially reduce the heavy truck traffic on California 118, which runs through the center of Moorpark.

“This is absolutely wonderful,” Lawrason said. “It will make a big difference. It will go a long way toward removing the heavy traffic.”

In addition to reducing congestion on California 118, Charbonneau said the connector should alleviate traffic on Olsen and Tierra Rejada roads, which intersect with the Moorpark Freeway.

Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton said many commuters from Thousand Oaks and Moorpark use those roads to cut through Simi Valley to reach the Simi Valley Freeway.