Leon Worden | SCV News

The California Department of Transportation awarded $1.219 million on Tuesday to the city of Santa Clarita and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to beautify the eastern entry into the city.Coupled with $631,000 from other funding sources, the state money is earmarked for landscaping along Sand Canyon Road and the 14 Freeway interchange at Sand Canyon.

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The project, called “Route 14/Sand Canyon Gateway Beautification,” is intended to “improve existing blighted conditions by installing drought tolerant landscaping and drainage to minimize runoff that may cause unsafe driving conditions,” according to a Caltrans document.

The award was included in an announcement of $333 million for 91 transportation improvement projects up and down the state. Some of the biggest are $28.3 million for Phase 2 of the Exposition Light Rail from Culver City to Santa Monica; $14.7 million for Interstate 110/State Route 47 Interchange Improvements; and $10.5 million for Phase 2 of the Port of Los Angeles Alameda Corridor Terminus/West Basin Rail Yard – Berth 200 Rail Yard Track Connection Improvements.

Most of the money – $233 million – comes from Proposition 1B transportation bonds authorized by voters in 2006.

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