By Peter Day
Senior Reporter
The regional High Desert Corridor proposal is designed to improve travel safety and connect areas of the Antelope Valley with the Victor Valley.
The proposed main corridor for the HDC connects SR-14 and the Palmdale Transportation Center in Los Angeles County with US-395, I-15, Bear Valley Road and State Route 18 (a.k.a. Bear Valley Cutoff) in San Bernardino County.
However, the result could adversely affect the Lucerne Valley area, according to the chairman of the Lucerne Valley Economic Development Association.
LVEDA Chairman Chuck Bell believes the 63-mile corridor could prompt a significant increase in traffic, especially from 18-wheelers traveling through Lucerne Valley to connect to the High Desert Corridor.
“Just imagine the magnitude of noise this traffic will produce as it is reverberates off of nearby solid rock masses in transit Lucerne Valley and the eastern edge of Apple Valley,” Bell said.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), have released the Draft EIS/EIR on the High Desert Corridor (HDC). It will be open for public comment until Dec. 2.
The document is available for viewing at the Town of Apple Valley – Town Hall, 14955 Dale Evans Pkwy, Apple Valley.
The public can submit written comments by writing to Ronald Kosinki, Caltrans District 7, Division of Environmental Planning, 100 South Main Street, MS 16A, Los Angeles, CA 90012 or visiting www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/HDC and www.metro.net/hdc.