Citrus Avenue north of the Azusa Pacific University’s main entrance will remain one lane northbound and one lane southbound until late June or early July.
The lane closure will allow for construction of the roadway underpass and connection to the Metro Gold Line APU/Citrus College Station leading toward Rosedale.
According to Azusa Mayor Joe Rocha, the underpass should have been finished at the same time the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension opened to the public, March 5.
However, delays in the extension of Citrus Avenue occurred when the previous engineer assigned to the project had to leave, while the new engineer had to review the new plans. Thus, the time for the project’s completion was extended until months after the light rail’s opening.
While the 11.5-mile Gold Line extension has become popular for commuters and travelers, the APU/Citrus College Station has left many inconvenienced. Riders must wait for a shuttle to take them to the station and to Foothill Boulevard and Citrus Avenue. Because the Citrus Avenue underpass is not complete, the shuttle goes along the Promenade and Palm Drive in the Rosedale residential complex to reach Citrus Avenue near Citrus College. Wait times can be up to 10 minutes.
Mayor Rocha also explained that in addition to the shuttle service, a crossing guard helps students cross the street at Palm Drive and Foothill Boulevard, now marked with three stop signs with flashing lights. He said the flashing stop signs help make them visible even on rainy days and at night.
These solutions should ease congestion until the Citrus Avenue underpass is completed.
The city of Azusa and Rosedale Land Partners fund the project, which is conducted by Azusa Land Partners.