Construction Could Further Congest Back-To-School Traffic

CALABASAS, CA — Traffic on Mulholland Highway around Calabasas schools is famously bad every school year, but this year could be even worse.

A $5.5 million city project to revamp Mulholland Highway between East and West Topanga Canyon Boulevard was delayed for months, pushing construction to overlap with the start of the school year.

The city saw a number of delays on the project that was meant to start in early summer, Communications Director Michael Russo said in a video about the project. The city struggled for weeks to solicit bids from contractors, and then contractors saw delays in renting equipment and finding material.

"Work was supposed to start in early summer with the bulk of the heavy work done before the new school year starts. And that's important — If you've driven here, you know that ... traffic in the morning and afternoon hours can be crazy sometimes," Russo said.

The months-long project will ultimately widen the shoulder on Mulholland Highway, add a sidewalk, revamp pavement, improve storm drains and add a retaining wall on the road. The construction will also bring a new traffic signal to Calabasas, revamp an existing traffic signal and improve the parking lot at Wild Walnut Park.

"This segment of Mulholland experiences great congestion due to school traffic. Morning and afternoon peak hours are very, very heavy. Also, this intersection is one of the locations in the city that has the highest accident rates. This project will improve greatly safety for all roadway users," Public Works Director Tatiana Holden said in the video.

The construction began on July 25 and is expected to last through 2023. The city is hoping extensive construction can be finished before the school year begins. After the school year starts, construction workers will keep one lane open in each direction and obstructions only outside peak traffic hours, Holden said.

"Work is expected to take several months. For now, bring patience, maybe leave a little earlier and know there will be traffic," Russo said.