Road opening eases traffic

The new Spring Road bypass between Los Angeles Avenue and Walnut Canyon Road is now open to traffic. The volume of traffic on the new road, which opened Feb. 5, has increased as people have become aware of the new pathway, said Yugal Lall, city engineer.

"It's predicted that 50 percent of the traffic now using Moorpark Avenue and Walnut Canyon Road will use the new route in the future," he said.

The bypass will also reduce traffic on three smaller streets in the downtown area because drivers who have been using High Street, as well Charles and streets, to get to Walnut Canyon from Spring Road will no longer need to do so, Lall said.

Everyone can use the new road, including trucks making local deliveries, Lall said. Signs are posted on Walnut Canyon and Spring roads indicating that trucks are otherwise prohibited on the new roadway, he said.

Speed limit on Spring Road is 45 miles per hour, but the city will conduct a survey in the near future to determine what the required posting should be.

The Spring Road extension has been part of the city's circulation element for many years. It will benefit people traveling to and from Fillmore and Santa Paula and provide quicker access to the freeways.

The project did not use taxpayer funds because it was paid for by Pardee Homes, the developer of the Moorpark Highlands, as part of a development agreement with the city.

- Sylvie Belmond