CALIFORNIA Transportation Commission has appropriated $153m to start construction of a second grade-separated freight corridor in the Los Angeles Basin. Running 56·3 km from East Los Angeles to Pomona, ’Alameda Corridor East’ will act as an extension of the 32 km Alameda Corridor between the city centre and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which is due to be completed next year (RG 3.01 p158).
The eastern route through the heavily-populated San Gabriel Valley is expected to save 13000h a year in road congestion at numerous level crossings whilst speeding up train operations. The federal government will meet the majority of the $912m total cost; completion is scheduled for 2007.
The Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority eventually hopes to extend the route into the adjacent San Bernardino and Orange counties.
