Upgrades Planned for Kanan Road

Agoura Hills commuters may expect some delay on their way to work after the Labor Day holiday, as the city begins a construction project to relieve congestion at the Kanan Road and Canwood Street intersection.

During construction, one southbound lane along Kanan Road will be closed for the safety of the construction workers, but two lanes will remain open for traffic, said City Engineer Jim Thorsen.

City officials said the construction, expected to continue through Oct. 31, will improve traffic conditions in the area.

Traffic in the intersection averages about 36,000 car trips per day, with much of it going south in the morning.

“Kanan Road and the [Ventura] freeway is our busiest-traveled section of road in the city,” Thorsen said. “A lot of residents live north of the freeway and drive down Kanan, jumping on there.”

Among the improvements planned is the installation of a southbound, right-turn lane from Kanan Road to Canwood Street, a widening of the road that will increase capacity by about 10%.

The city also will modify intersection traffic signals to allow southbound traffic to turn left from Kanan to Canwood. That change is expected to accommodate another 40 cars per hour through the intersection.

The plans also include constructing a disability ramp and sidewalk along Kanan Road and erecting a block wall along the intersection to screen out the Edison substation.

Landscaping will be planted to mask the block wall, city officials said.

The city’s general fund and county money will be used to pay for the $245,000 project.

Thorsen said another improvement project is expected to begin in a month at Agoura and Kanan roads.