COMPTON—The Compton City Council approved a resolution on Tuesday, Dec. 6, clearing the way for improvements on Crane Avenue for the first time in 40 years.

The resolution authorizes interim City Manager Lamont Ewell to amend the fiscal year 2011- 2012 budget, and appropriate additional funds to the Community Development Block Grant for the project.

The plan makes Crane Avenue a one-way street between Rosecrans Avenue and Compton Boulevard.

“The roadway and sidewalk on Crane Avenue is extremely narrow,” Public Works Employee William Lewis said. “The sidewalk is only two and a half feet wide, which is below the four-foot minimum Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. “The sidewalk widening reduces the roadway width, so it cannot accommodate two-way traffic.”

There is a lot of cracking on the roadway, causing seepage into the ground. Once repaired, the roadway will be in compliance with Caltrans standards.

“Turning this into a northbound road reduces the volume of traffic,” Lewis said. “Residents will still park on the west side of the roadway and we are planning on a month grace period to get used to parking in the opposite direction.”

The road’s top layer will be removed during the project, eliminating the need for an environment impact study, because a management team will oversee the project.

“In order to access these funds we must bring them forward,” Ewell said. “This is a budget cleanup issue.”

Crane Avenue residents in attendance spoke about the long wait for repairs to their street.

“No improvements have been made on my street in the 45 years I have lived there,” resident James Complules said.

Dobson could not contain her enthusiasm for the project, referred to by other Council members as her baby.

“I am from Mississippi, and when we are happy we shout,” she said. “I want to commend the residents who are here tonight. They are my wonderful neighbors. I went to Washington, D.C., and Sacramento looking for money, and we have the money to do the work. Your patience is finally going to be rewarded.”

Perrodin was pleased that the project is getting underway, but asked that politics be kept out of it.

“This project spans District 1 and District 4,” he said. “We need to make sure we do not start fighting about what district we work in first.”

The entire project is scheduled to begin at the same time, Lewis said, and both districts will see immediate benefits.

“Do we have all the money in place to complete the entire project?” Perrodin asked. “Finishing one segment at a time makes more sense, rather than doing it all at once and running out of money.”

Ewell said that additional funds will come from projects that are no longer going to be completed.

The project will be sent out for bid within the next 60 days, with a projected completion date of June 2012.