L.A. Freeway Expansion to Move Ahead, Sans Displacement

The 605 freeway expansion project was expected to demolish hundreds of homes and multifamily buildings.

1 minute read

July 23, 2023, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Interstate 605 in Los Angeles with green freeway signs and light traffic

formulanone / Creative Commons

In a victory for freeway fighters and anti-displacement activists, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) announced the Metro and Caltrans 605 Freeway Corridor Improvement Project (605CIP), which, per its initial plans, would have displaced hundreds of residents and impacted more than a thousand parcels in the area. 

The news was announced by Metro Senior Director of Countywide Planning and Development Isidro Pánuco at a meeting of the Metro Board Planning and Programming Committee on Wednesday and reported by Joe Linton in Streetsblog LA.

“This is the first time that Metro staff has announced publicly and unequivocally that the 605CIP will not demolish homes,” Linton notes. “Nevertheless, Metro and Caltrans are still planning to proceed with widening the 605, the 5, and many many more Southern California freeways during a time when the dire impacts of the global climate catastrophe are becoming increasingly hard to ignore.”

Wednesday, July 19, 2023 in Streetsblog LA

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