Q: Mark P. Sullivan of Pinon Hills, near Phelan, asked three separate questions about east-west routes in the high desert. He said east-west traffic is problematic in that area because of a lack of adequate routes.
First, Sullivan asked about plans to complete Bear Valley Road/Duncan Road. It currently runs from the 15 Freeway in Apple Valley to Baldy Mesa Road and “is intermittently paved from Baldy Mesa heading west. The completion of Duncan Road would take considerable pressure off Phelan Road and Highway 18,” Sullivan said.
Second, regarding Phelan Road, from Hesperia to Highway 138, Sullivan asked if there are plans to expand this road to four lanes and if so, when? He said this road is always congested and also badly needs resurfacing.
Third, focusing on Victor Valley and the Antelope Valley Expressway, Sullivan asked if this project is still in the planning phase and when groundbreaking could be expected.
A: First, there are no specific plans to pave Duncan Road from Wilson Ranch Road to Baldy Mesa Road, said Amy Ledbetter, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Public Works Department.
“At this time, funding is the biggest challenge as preliminary estimates for this would be between $15 and $20 million. Another unknown is the capacity for the aqueduct bridge to handle it, which could potentially double this cost,” Ledbetter said. An unfinished portion of Duncan Road between Wilson Ranch and Baldy Mesa roads crosses the California Aqueduct.
Second, as to Phelan Road, the Public Works Department is anticipating a rehabilitation project early next year and plans for widening are in the design process, Ledbetter said. “However, this project is estimated to be around $100 million so would be several years out. Since it will require additional funding outside our normal sources, the county will need to compete for federal grants,” she said.
Sullivan’s third question refers to the High Desert Corridor Project. The website for this complex, multi-agency project is Home – High Desert Corridor JPA, or highdesertcorridor.org. The agency in charge of securing funding for the new highway’s continued planning, development and construction is called the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency. It’s comprised of representatives from Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the cities of Victorville, Adelanto, Lancaster and Palmdale.
The High Desert Corridor, or HDC, is a proposed “transportation route connecting Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County with Victor Valley in San Bernardino County,” according to the website. “The first phase is a 54-mile high-speed rail project between the two fast growing regions. The HDC is funded by the voter-approved Los Angeles County Measure M Expenditure Plan with nearly $170 million in the current and near-term fiscal years as well as $1.9 billion in later years (2063-2067) that could leverage federal, state, and private funds to construct the HDC High Speed Rail Project.” Eventually, the corridor will connect Southern California to Northern California and Las Vegas.
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The latest update posted in April to the project page says the HDC JPA approved agreements with union labor groups for the project’s construction, operation and maintenance. Funding, design and engineering work continues. A groundbreaking date has not been given.
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