WHAT: The Orange County Transportation Authority, in coordination with Caltrans, is breaking ground on the SR-55 Improvement Project between I-5 and I-405, from the Santa Ana and Tustin areas to near Irvine and Costa Mesa.
The project is adding a regular lane and a carpool lane in each direction along the 4-mile stretch of freeway, as well as merge lanes to help drivers more smoothly enter and exit the freeway.
Media is invited to attend this event to join local and state officials in kicking off construction on the project, which is expected to be completed in 2026.
WHEN: 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 28
WHERE: On the southwest corner of Newport Avenue and Del Amo Avenue in Tustin, off the SR-55 Edinger Avenue exit
WHO: Scheduled speakers include:
- OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy, also the Mayor of Orange
- Assemblyman Steven S. Choi
- OCTA Director Katrina Foley, also Orange County’s Second District Supervisor
- OCTA Director Vicente Sarmiento, also the Mayor of Santa Ana
- OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson
- FHWA Division Administrator Vincent Mammano
- California Transportation Commissioner Michele Martinez
- Caltrans District 12 Director Ryan Chamberlain
WHY: The SR-55 Improvement Project is a critical part of fulfilling the promises of Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation
SR-55 is a vital north-south freeway that links central Orange County and beyond to the coastal region. More than 260,000 vehicles use that stretch of SR-55 every day, and that number is expected to grow to nearly 275,000 vehicles by 2040.
The improvements will help increase access to job centers, health care and education facilities, and John Wayne Airport, among other important destinations for the region.
