ORANGE – Caltrans today announced the completion of a $65 million project that will relieve congestion and ease a chronic traffic bottleneck along State Route 91, a major transportation artery connecting Orange County with the Inland Empire.
The project was the first American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) transportation project in Orange County and was funded primarily ($47.9 million) by the Recovery Act. The remaining funding was provided by the Orange County Transportation Authority and the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
“We are constantly working to bring Recovery Act funding into California quickly and responsibly to help drive our economy," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Investing in California’s infrastructure helps put Californians back to work while also reducing traffic congestion and improving our quality of life.”
The widening project constructed a new lane on six miles of eastbound SR-91 between State Route 241 in Orange County and State Route 71 in Riverside County. The daily traffic volume on this section can reach nearly 300,000 vehicles.
“This project was made possible thanks to the partnership between state and local agencies. It is a solid investment in this region’s infrastructure and underscores our commitment to reducing traffic congestion for commuters traveling between Orange County and the Inland Empire," said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim.
“This new lane will be a welcome relief to the thousands of people who travel on the Riverside Freeway each day,” said OCTA Chairman Jerry Amante, also the mayor Tustin. “Improving the 91 is a top priority for OCTA and we are very pleased to see the first of several projects on the freeway completed.”
“The opening of this project is another positive example of how transportation agencies in Orange and Riverside counties are successfully coming together to provide positive improvements to everyone,” said RCTC Chair Bob Buster, also a Riverside County supervisor. “Both counties have ambitious upcoming plans to continue improving this freeway – this is an encouraging first step toward bigger and better improvements in the future.”
Under Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership, California has obligated nearly $2.6 billion in Recovery Act funding to nearly 1,000 highway, local street, transportation projects, and job training statewide. For more information on the Recovery Act visit: http://recovery.ca.gov/
