SGVCOG updates Montebello grade‑separation project; Olympic Boulevard bridge work will require lengthy closure

Carrie Inseong, senior project manager with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, updated the Montebello City Council on construction of the Montebello grade‑separation project during the council's Aug. 27 meeting. She said the project consists of four elements: an underpass and safety improvements at the Vail, Maple and Greenwood at‑grade crossings, and related retaining walls and utility relocations.

Inseong said crews have completed major milestones including relocation of Southern California Edison facilities and installation of temporary "shoe‑fly" tracks that allow freight and Metrolink trains to keep running while the existing tracks are removed. "The project actually has 4 elements," she told council members during her slide presentation, and she described ongoing coordination with Union Pacific Railroad for track work done by UPRR forces.

She said the three at‑grade crossings are slated for completion by May 2026, while the underpass and associated bridge and retaining‑wall work are targeted for December 2028. Inseong also told the council Olympic Boulevard will be closed in both directions for the bridge construction; she estimated the closure would last about 20 months while crews build the new Olympic Boulevard bridge and its retaining walls.

Council members asked about public outreach and community impacts. Inseong said the project team has been responding to resident complaints — for example, adding a second water truck to reduce dust — and has met with neighborhood groups and the Montebello Rotary to share progress. Council member Romero asked about safety and lighting on Montebello Way; Inseong said portable lights had been placed in the corridor during earlier work, but one or more lights were stolen and she would follow up with her supervisors to address the lighting concern.

The presenter said utility cutovers remain planned, including Southern California Edison and Montebello Land and Water Company lines, and that heavy work such as pile driving for bridge foundations would begin in upcoming months. She said coordination with Union Pacific and contractors will continue as the team prepares pile work and bridge foundations.

The presentation concluded with an outreach commitment: Inseong said she and the project community liaison Maria Connor had briefed local stakeholders and were planning continued school‑district educational outreach. "That concludes my presentation," Inseong said, and she offered to make the project slides available on the project website for residents who could not attend the council meeting.

Council members did not take a separate vote on the update; the presentation served as a formal status report and a forum for council questions.