A new 5-mile lane will be added on the northbound Orange Freeway
August 4, 2010
ORANGE – Relief is on the way for commuters traveling on the Orange Freeway (SR-57) as the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) kick off an improvement project today that will add a new lane and make other improvements to ease congestion.
The $102 million project will add a 5-mile northbound lane on SR-57 from just north of the Riverside Freeway (SR-91) near Orangethorpe Avenue in Placentia to Lambert Road in Brea. Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2014.
“OCTA is very pleased to see this project get under way and we are looking forward to bringing much-needed traffic relief to the thousands of commuters and locals who use this stretch of freeway on a daily basis,” said OCTA Chairman Jerry Amante, also the mayor of Tustin.
In addition to the new lane, the improvement project will add merging lanes and reconfigure on-ramps and off-ramps to improve entering and exiting the freeway, which is projected to carry up to 158,000 vehicles a day.
“This project will strengthen the region’s economy with job opportunities during a period when they are sorely needed and at the same time it will improve the quality of life for residents by reducing congestion,” said Caltrans District 12 Director Cindy Quon.
The freeway construction project is the first to begin under the Measure M2 Early Action Plan, which is jumpstarting projects prior to revenue beginning next year.
Measure M2 funded the development of the project, including environmental and design work, and the state’s Corridor Mobility Improvement Account from Proposition 1B provided funds for construction.
This project is the first of two taking place on SR-57. In summer 2011, construction will begin to add a 3-mile northbound lane between Katella Avenue and Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim.
For more information, visit www.OCTA.net/sr57 .
