‘L.A.’s last new freeway’ will finally get its first day in the sun.

ALONE ON THE ROAD: It may seem like the I-105 freeway running from LAX to Norwalk has been under construction forever, rather than just 11 years.

But the latest word from Caltrans is that the Century Freeway, now renamed the Glenn M. Anderson Freeway after the former South Bay congressman who secured funding for the project, should open Oct. 7.

And on Monday, Caltrans will commemorate the first car, other than construction vehicles, to glide across the newly poured pavement.

Media representatives and dignitaries are expected to watch the Solar Eagle II take a 2.5-mile spin on the almost-complete roadway, which is expected to handle 130,000 to 145,000 vehicles per day.

The solar-powered car, built by students at Cal State Los Angeles, is taking advantage of an open stretch of road in Downey for a practice run before the Sunrayce, a Dallas-to-Minneapolis solar-car derby in June.

Caltrans will provide a van for reporters to take a look at what Caltrans spokeswoman Margie Tiritilli calls “L.A.’s last new freeway.”

And for those skeptics who don’t think the freeway will ease traffic nightmares, Tiritilli had this to say: “It’s going to be a pretty spectacular freeway. It’s a high-tech freeway. It has two (car-pool) lanes, 10 transit stations, 10 park-and-ride lots. It’s going to relieve congestion on other freeways and for people trying to get to the airport.”

We’ll see.

SIGN WARS: Bank manager Phoebe Yu has declared victory after a 15-month struggle to achieve what at first seemed an easy task--placing the logo of East-West Bank on the bank’s building in Rolling Hills Estates.

After emotional appeals from bank customers, the City Council agreed Tuesday that the bank can display its distinctive Chinese logo. That could conclude a long and tangled story that pitted the bank against city officials responsible for ascertaining which signs belong in Rolling Hills Estates.

East-West Bank, founded 20 years ago in Chinatown, sought permission last year to display its sign and logo on its new office on Hawthorne Boulevard. But city planning commissioners rejected the logo and later resisted the bank’s efforts to display Chinese letters, arguing that it would be incompatible with other signs in the area.

Yu persevered, maintaining that 95% of her customers are Chinese and that many do not read English. She won council approval in January to add Chinese letters to the sign, but she still lacked a logo.

Then Bank of America opened a branch next door and swiftly got permission to display its own well-known red logo with a B and A intertwined. Yu said she didn’t understand the difference.

Now, with the hard-won approval in hand, Yu is contacting a sign company and hopes to put her bank’s logo on view at last.

BEEPER POWER: City officials were wearing them. So were paramedics and reporters. All over the South Bay last week, small black telephone beepers were in ready supply as people waited for a verdict in the Rodney G. King civil rights trial.

In Torrance, for instance, City Manager LeRoy Jackson said 20 to 25 extra beepers were given to City Council members and some employees to be prepared for “any needs that may follow the verdict.”

“We’re checking our batteries daily,” added Virginia Price-Hastings, director of Los Angeles County emergency medical services.

Sometimes the beepers became a nuisance. Rumors flew, and some beepers sounded, when one juror became ill Wednesday and there was speculation a verdict had been reached. “We all went to find a radio or television,” Price-Hastings said.

The city of Hawthorne prefers cellular phones, passing out extras to some city employees and department heads a week ago.

But beepers appear to be the communications tool of choice. Metromedia Paging in Anaheim reported a surge in short-term pager rentals in the past few weeks to such customers as utility companies and firefighters, said Josep Arata, regional general manager.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Hi. You’ve reached the residence of Mr. America. I’m probably pumping iron. If you would please leave a message, I will press your number. Remember, square meals make round people.”

--Message on the answering machine of James Rundell, who planned to celebrate his 65th birthday with a triathlon, including a 13-mile run and a 50-mile bike ride.

LAST WEEK’S CITY HALL HIGHLIGHTS

Lomita: Cynthia Heyert was installed Friday as the new postmaster at the main post office on Narbonne Avenue. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Postal Service, Heyert will supervise 40 employees and oversee nearly 10,000 daily deliveries.

Rancho Palos Verdes: The California Coastal Commission voted Thursday to approve a $35-million development that includes a golf course and 83 homes on the coastal bluffs. Developers Barry Hon and Ken Zuckerman have been trying for five years to win approval for the project.

Torrance: A man severely injured in a bicycle accident five years ago will collect more than $1 million in a settlement with the city of Torrance, a developer and two subcontractors. Torrance agreed to pay James Geibel $350,000 as its share in the settlement.

THIS WEEK’S CITY HALL HIGHLIGHTS

Manhattan Beach: City officials will conduct an Arbor Day tree planting ceremony at 10 a.m. today at Polliwog Park, 1601 Manhattan Beach Blvd. The ceremony, which will be held near the rose gazebo, is part of the city’s Earth Day activities.