FEDERAL AID FOR ROAD PROJECT BILL COVERS WIDENING OF INTERSECTION, BOULEVARD.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A federal transportation bill signed by President George W. Bush includes $2.8 million for a project to widen Rancho Vista Boulevard to lessen rush-hour congestion from Air Force Plant 42.

The federal aid would cover about half the $5.5 million cost of widening the boulevard's intersection with Sierra Highway, which is part of a city plan to widen the boulevard to six lanes east of the Antelope Valley Freeway for 3 1/2 miles.

``We will begin final design as soon as possible,'' said Leon Swain, Palmdale's director of public works. ``It will take about a full year to complete the design. It will take two to three years to complete the improvements.''

The city allocated about $1 million in this year's budget for the project. It is likely that the City Council will be asked to provide another $1 million for the work in the next budget, Swain said.

Caltrans has provided $309,000 toward the work already, Swain said. The bill signed by the president also earmarks $400,000 toward replacing two narrow bridges on Highway 138 over Big Rock Creek, $9 million in Santa Clarita for the Cross Valley Connector and $800,000 in the Victor Valley for the High Desert Corridor expressway, intended to reach Palmdale eventually.

The Rancho Vista Boulevard money is less than the amount approved last year by the House in a bill that never became law.

Last year, representatives passed a six-year $275 billion transportation funding bill that included $4 million for the project. However, the bill stalled amid debate between Congress and the White House over the amount of funding.

The president signed the $286.4 billion, six-year funding bill even though he had earlier threatened a veto because it was more than $30 billion over his initial budget request.

``If we want people working in America, we've got to make sure our highways and roads are modern,'' the president said in his bill-signing message. ``We've got to bring up this transportation into the 21st century.''

Palmdale officials want to expand Rancho Vista Boulevard between Fairway Drive and 30th Street East from two lanes in each direction to three lanes in each direction with a median.

The work would also include bike paths on both sides. Intersections would be striped with left-turn pockets and, where necessary, widened for right-turn lanes as well.

City officials want to relieve rush-hour traffic congestion and to position Lockheed Martin's Plant 10 and the neighboring Air Force Plant 42 better for future aerospace projects. More than 6,500 workers now travel to their jobs there along Rancho Vista and Avenue M.

Widening the intersection with Sierra Highway is expected to cost about $5.5 million. Widening the boulevard the rest of the way east to 15th Street East and west to Fairway Drive would cost $6 million.

Widening east to 30th Street East would cost another $6 million.

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

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(1 -- color in AV edition only) The federal aid included in the highway bill would cover about half the $5.5 million cost of widening Rancho Vista Boulevard's intersection with Sierra Highway, which is part of a city plan to widen a section of the boulevard to six lanes.

(2 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) The federal government will be providing $2.8 million for the Palmdale project, which will help relieve congestion from Air Force Plant 42.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer