SCENIC ROUTE— A cyclist utilizes the wide, shady Calleguas Creek Bike Path that winds along the arroyo. The city plans to extend the path farther south this summer. IRIS SMOOTAcorn Newspapers Several construction projects are expected to get underway in Camarillo this summer, including work on the Calleguas Creek Bike Trail, which will connect Upland Road to Village at the Park.

The paved bike trail already runs for two miles from Upland Road to Mission Oaks Boulevard. It is used by runners, cyclists, skateboarders and other residents.

The second phase of the project, costing $1.3 million and paid for by local and federal funds, will extend the trail an additional mile under the freeway to Village at the Park.

“This has been a long time coming,” City Councilmember Charlotte Craven said. “The comments I hear are (residents) are going to be able to bike to work because some of the people work in the Flynn Road area and live at Village at the Park.”

SUMMER’S DAY RIDE— The Calleguas Creek Bike Trail is being finished in phases. The second phase, which will extend the trail to Village at the Park, begins this summer. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers Phase three of the trail, which is in the early design stages, will extend the bike path from the 101 Freeway to Pleasant Road. This phase won’t begin until the county watershed district completes the widening of Calleguas Creek.

The fourth and final phase will connect the bike trail along Calleguas Creek to the sports park near Village at the Park and will run along the entire length of the sports field.

“It’s part of the master plan to find new routes throughout the city for bicyclists,” said Tom Fox, the city’s public works director. “We certainly have a lot more for bicyclists than (we had) 15 years ago.”

Fox said he would like to see the bike trail eventually reach California State University Channel Islands.

Construction is also underway near Camarillo City Hall to widen the storm water channel that runs along Ponderosa Drive. The channel flooded in 1998 and covered the council chambers with 3 feet of water.

“I’ll never forget,” said Craven, who was mayor at the time. “I had never seen anything like it.”

Craven said the project had been on the county’s agenda for 14 years and she is thankful construction has finally started.

The county will widen the channel from Lantana Street to east of Carmen Drive. Fox said construction crews removed the concrete surrounding the channel and will change the V-shaped channel into a U-shaped channel.

The city has to move some sewer lines, and the utility companies will move some of their utility lines in the process. The city will also landscape some parts of Ponderosa Drive.

The channel-widening project should be completed early next year.