By Mary O’Keefe

Crescenta Valley commuters will be seeing the last of the asphalt dust soon as the Los Angeles Public Works nears completion of the road construction that began on Jan. 7.

“Despite the rain [on Wednesday] we are on schedule,” said Daryl Hamilton, construction unit of public works.

“Today the workers are scheduled to continue paving from Pennsylvania and Briggs avenues,” Hamilton said.

The first days of the process, called Cold Mill, had about 15 to 20 workers from the All American Asphalt Co. removing one and a half inches of pavement off the entire stretch of road along Foothill Boulevard from Briggs to Pennsylvania avenues. This created the clouds of black and gray dust drivers maneuvered through.

“That’s what the businesses complained about the most: the dust. Saturday was a bad day. There was a lot of dust. We have been cleaning dust daily,” Hamilton said.

The task was daunting as workers had to adjust around school schedules and traffic

confusion.

“We added additional guards at Ramsdell and La Crescenta avenues to help pedestrians cross Foothill,” Hamilton said. “We had to remove an inch and a half of pavement, then [replace] an inch and a half of pavement, and have it all done in seven days.”

The reason for the time constraint is due to the grand opening of the new La Crescenta Library on Jan. 29.

“We want to have it done in time for your grand opening,” he added.

Temporary no parking signs were placed along Foothill and for the most part were complied with.

“We gave out seven citations and 10 verbal warnings to drivers. We towed one vehicle,” said Sgt. Mark Slater of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station.

He added that vehicles weren’t towed unless they were in the path of the workers. The car that was towed was in the path of one of the grinding machines.

Hamilton said for the most part drivers have been understanding with the construction.

“We are moving pretty fast now. Next week we will complete the traffic loops and striping. We will be done by Jan. 22,” Hamilton said.