Earthquake: The Road to Recovery : 4 Miles of Simi Freeway Will Reopen Monday

Four miles of the Simi Valley Freeway closed by last month’s Northridge earthquake will reopen in time for the Monday morning commute, Caltrans officials have announced.

The freeway will reopen between the San Diego and Foothill freeways, along with most of the connectors linking the Simi Valley with the Foothill, Golden State and San Diego freeways.

However, ramps connecting the southbound Golden State to the eastbound Simi Valley, and linking the northbound and southbound San Diego to the westbound Simi Valley freeway will continue to be closed, officials said.

Caltrans on Saturday also announced that the Golden State Freeway between Lyons Avenue and Roxford Street, both northbound and southbound, will be closed for quake-related bridge repairs periodically during the next several days.

From 11:30 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday, and again from 11:30 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, southbound auto traffic will have to exit at Lyons and detour along San Fernando Road to the Antelope Valley Freeway before rejoining the Golden State at Roxford. Depending on progress of the work, the same closure may be in effect from late Wednesday night to early Thursday, officials said.

During the hours of the closure, southbound truck traffic will have to exit at California 138 and detour to the Antelope Valley Freeway before rejoining the Golden State at Roxford. Trucks traveling south from Bakersfield may be better off taking California 58 to the Antelope Valley Freeway and take the Golden State Freeway at Roxford, a spokesman said.

The northbound closure will affect the same stretch of the Golden State during the same hours, but is scheduled to begin Wednesday night. Northbound autos will join the Antelope Valley Freeway at Roxford and take San Fernando Road back to the Golden State at Lyons. At Roxford, northbound trucks will take the Antelope Valley Freeway to California 138 or 58.