Coldwater Canyon Report, I

Pat yourself on the back, commuters. The early reports are in and with lighter than usual traffic on the first three days of a project to install a massive new trunkline along Coldwater Canyon, drivers and residents seemed to heed the warnings.

No major incidents were reported Saturday and Sunday, the first weekend of the closure, and the DWP reported Monday that the morning's commute went relatively smoothly. Officials reported a smaller than usual count of cars during Monday morning rush hour with traffic safety officers on sight ensuring a smooth flow of traffic.

Councilmember Paul Krekorian's office was also monitoring the situation and continues to work with all involved city departments to ensure this important - and unavoidable - project is done as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible. The Councilmember directed city agencies to not just look at the intersection of Coldwater and Ventura, but Laurel Canyon and Ventura, Laurel Canyon and Mulholland and beyond.

It's not just city crews that are pitching in. Harvard-Westlake, which is currently on Spring Break, continues to have school activities but is helping to usher in cars that need to be on campus. Nearby Sunnyside Preschool will hold their final class tomorrow before also heading out on break until April 8.

As we mentioned in our introductory email that went out Friday, the first round of construction involves drilling massive beams into the street and installing steel plates to prepare for the installation of the 60-inch pipe. (To get weekly updates delivered right to your inbox, email Geoffrey.Yazzetta@lacity.org with our office.)  

Of course, while traffic may have been lighter than usual and commuters seemed to mostly avoid the closure area, our office - with the DWP, Dept. of Transportation and others - continues to monitor the situation. Councilmember Krekorian has directed all city departments to make necessary adjustments to ease traffic conditions as much as possible and as quickly as possible.

We'll continue to keep you informed here, on Twitter and on Facebook and please don't hesitate to let us know about any questions or concerns you may have. 

Note: During the Coldwater Canyon Avenue project, Jeremy Oberstein, with the office of Councilmember Paul Krekorian, will be posting up regular updates to keep you in the loop.