40th Street Gap in I-15 to Be Closed at Last

California Department of Transportation officials are beginning the process of closing the 40th Street freeway gap, a 2.2-mile section of Interstate 15 that constitutes the only remaining unfinished portion of the Mexico to Canada highway.

The project, an eight-lane freeway below ground level along 40th Street between Interstates 8 and 805, was given the final go-ahead by federal highway officials this week, paving the way for Caltrans to begin buying 570 residences and 44 businesses that must be cleared for the $112-million expansion.

Bill Dotson, district director of Caltrans, said his agency will begin the paper work for right-of-way purchases and organize bids for construction contracts immediately.

Construction is not expected to begin on the highway until 1990 because of the number of properties that must be purchased to clear the right of way, Dotson said.

“We have to clear the block between 40th and Central (Avenue). . . . There are quite a few apartments and condos on that street,” Dotson said.

When finished, the freeway will go through the Mid-City area along 40th Street, connecting I-8 and I-805.

For more than 20 years, county officials have planned to close the 40th Street gap but various obstacles kept the project from getting started.

Lack of funds and environmental issues have often been reasons for the project to be stalled, along with objections from residents living along the proposed route.

Residents in the area have argued that noise and pollution caused by the freeway would isolate their neighborhoods.

To prevent noise, Dotson said Caltrans is planning to cover two city blocks of the freeway, and the top will become a park. The city approved the freeway project in 1985 after negotiations with Caltrans to reduce the disruption of the neighborhood.

Funding for the project, expected to take about 18 months, will come through federal grants and matching state funds, Dotson said.