Wave Staff Report
MONTEBELLO — Elected officials and other dignitaries gathered July 10 to break ground on the Montebello Corridor Grade Separation Project, marking the start of construction on a long-awaited infrastructure project that will replace a dangerous railroad crossing on Montebello Boulevard, the second most-hazardous on the Union Pacific Railroad mainline tracks in Los Angeles County.
“I am thrilled to see the commencement of the Montebello Corridor Grade Separation Project,” said state Sen. Bob Archuleta, who represents Montebello in the Legislature. “This project is essential for reducing traffic delays, enhancing public safety and improving the critical response times of emergency responders for our residents.”
The $220 million project, part of the Alameda Corridor-East Project, is the 18th-grade separation project undertaken by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, a regional planning agency that serves 31 cities in the San Gabriel Valley. The project not only aims to enhance safety and reduce traffic congestion but also plays a role in improving air quality.
“The start of the Montebello Corridor Grade Separation Project is a significant achievement,” said Tim Hepbirn, president of the San Gabriel Valley COG.
The grade separation will eliminate the potential for crossing collisions, a challenge historically plaguing this railroad crossing. The Federal Railroad Administration has recorded six collisions at the crossing, resulting in three fatalities and one injury.
With an average of 21,700 vehicles passing through daily and the crossing being blocked by 49 trains, including 12 Metrolink regional commuter trains, completing the grade separation project will ease vehicle emissions by decreasing the time cars and trucks idle while waiting for trains to pass, which will improve mobility and goods movement in the region and eliminate noise pollution from train horns and gate alarms.
“Today’s groundbreaking ceremony marks a historic moment for the city of Montebello,” said Montebello Mayor Scarlet Peralta. “The Montebello Corridor Grade Separation Project will provide much-needed relief from traffic congestion and enhance safety at one of our city’s most dangerous railroad crossings.”
The project’s funding sources are diverse, with key funding from the Senate Bill 1 Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, which provide critical state funds aimed at improving freight corridors.
Local funding is supported by Los Angeles County Proposition C sales tax funds, and Measure R and Measure M funds, all dedicated to improving transit and reducing congestion.
“The Montebello Corridor Grade Separation Project is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to improve California’s transportation infrastructure,” said Caltrans District 7 Director Gloria Roberts. “By separating roadways from railways, we ensure safer and more efficient travel for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.”
The Montebello Corridor Project is one of the final grade separations in a comprehensive program of 19-grade separations and 55 at-grade safety improvements at key railroad crossings in the San Gabriel Valley. The overall project was established in 1998 to mitigate the impacts of growth in trade transported by train along the high-volume transcontinental ACE Trade Corridor, one of the busiest freight rail corridors in the nation.
