ORANGE LINE PEELING AWAY REPAVING BEGUN AS CAUSE DEBATED.

Byline: SUE DOYLE Staff Writer

Little more than a year after it opened, the $330 million Orange Line has hit bumps in the road -- literally.

A mile-long stretch of asphalt in the East San Fernando Valley has become so badly damaged that it has been dug up and repaved while transit officials and the contractor argue over who's to blame.

Even as they point fingers, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its contractor are moving quickly to make repairs to the roadway east of Valley College before winter rains cause more deterioration.

Roadwork began Tuesday east of the college, with the MTA and contractor Shimmick-Obayashi Joint Venture splitting the price for now. Each has set aside $750,000 for the renovations, but each has reserved the right to recoup its share of costs once causes for the problems are determined.

The pavement was not built to specifications of its original contract, said county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who sits on the MTA board.

``It's an issue that we're going to have to deal with either in a negotiation or in a claims proceeding,'' he said. ``Meanwhile, the pavement has to be fixed.''

Officials from the Ventura County-based contractor had no comment.

Temporary repairs were made in the summer when problems first became apparent, but now more work is needed, said Marc Littman, MTA spokesman.

On Tuesday, workers dug up about 1,500 feet on the 14-mile Orange Line, grinding away at the uneven surface in some spots and digging down to the soil in others to examine the ground below.

Repairs are expected to be done in about two weeks. Meanwhile, the heavily used bus route -- which has 21,000 daily commuters and runs from Warner Center and North Hollywood -- is slightly detouring off its regular transitway.

Officials don't know what could be causing the right-of-way to show signs of wear and tear after only 14 months of use. Samples were taken from the road and dirt below for tests to see if problems stem from soil or materials used in the asphalt, said Richard Hunt, MTA general manager for the San Fernando Valley.

``Test results will show who should have prevented it and what would have prevented it,'' he said.

Troubles with the busway in the former rail right-of-way began even before the Orange Line debuted in October 2005. Five months earlier, the MTA replaced chunks of pavement on the west end of the line, where asphalt had split and cracked. At the time, officials suspected the cracks occurred because the contractor had to stop paving during trecord winter rainfall.

Initial testing raised questions about the asphalt and whether it met standards. MTA officials reportedly hired an expert for $25,000 for more tests but did not recall Tuesday if that actually happened.

sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

photo, map

Photo:

A sign near Burbank Boulevard and Fulton Avenue advises riders of a relocated stop for Orange Line buses, which are making slight detours while pavement is repaired.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

Map:

Orange Line

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