The first phase of the Highway 118 widening project in Simi Valley is ahead of schedule, and a similar project on Highway 23 is near completion.

The first phase of the Highway 118 project is more than halfway done, said Maria Raptis, public information officer for the California Department of Transportation. It includes widening the eastbound freeway from Tapo Canyon Road to the Los Angeles County line from three to four lanes.

Construction on the $65 million Highway 23 project was expected to be completed in 2010, but will be completed 14 months ahead of schedule, Caltrans officials said. The project to widen the highway between Moorpark and Thousand Oaks will be completed next month.

Phase one of the Highway 118 project began in March 2007 and is expected to be completed by mid-2009 at a cost of $46.5 million. It is funded by the state through the Ventura County Transportation Commission.

In addition to widening the freeway, sound walls will be added and four bridges will be widened along Highway 118. Fiber-optics will also be placed on the road to provide real-time traffic data to Caltrans that will be disseminated to the public, media and the Internet.

The contractor for phase one is C.A. Rasmussen of Simi Valley.

Raptis said phase two, which will widen the westbound portion of Highway 118, will begin in late 2008 at an additional cost of $34.5 million.

Caltrans is also constructing a westbound on-ramp and an eastbound offramp at Rocky Peak Road on Highway 118. Rocky Peak Road is about two miles east of Kuehner Drive in Simi Valley and two miles west of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth.

The $9.1 million interchange is expected to be completed in late 2009.

Moorpark City Councilman Keith Millhouse, who serves on the VCTC board, said he was pleased with the progress of the freeway improvements.

"I'm very pleased that the Highway 118 project was able to move forward. It will improve traffic flow and improve safety," Millhouse said. "It does, however, highlight our complete dependency on the state for financing these projects."

Millhouse said future freeway improvements, including work at interchanges connecting Highways 118 and 23, may depend on additional funding sources such as a voter-approved transportation tax.

Nancy Stack, a Newbury Park resident who commutes to her work in Northridge on Highways 23 and 118, said she is looking forward to their completion.

"The widening of the 23 freeway has really helped. Right now, traffic on the 118 freeway is really slow. I think widening it will really help with the commute," said Stack.

Raptis said drivers on Highway 118 can expect some delays during construction. Since Simi Valley is a windy area, she noted Caltrans is using water tanks to control dust kicked up during construction.