Judge rejects environmental approval of Highway 1 expansion

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has rejected state environmental approval of a plan to expand Highway 1 in Pacifica.

U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria said Friday state transportation officials gave a federal wildlife agency incorrect information when seeking the agency’s approval for the work.

The California Department of Transportation proposed preserving 5 acres to offset damage the highway expansion would cause to the habitat of two endangered species — the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake.

But Chhabria said that land was already slated for preservation and was therefore not a benefit that could be tied directly to the highway expansion. He ordered Caltrans to again seek the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s approval.

Caltrans spokesman Myeast McCauley said the agency was reviewing the decision and would work with its project partners to determine next steps.