Caltrans District 7 photo Safety, better mobility and a need for an upgrade are primary reasons for the project. By Chuck Harvey CEG CORRESPONDENT A $631M project is considered as a big step toward reducing traffic on Interstate 5 in southern Los Angeles and northern Orange counties. Known as the Valley View Avenue Interchange Project, work is centered in La Mirada and spans 1.5 mi. of I-5. It is part of major I-5 improvements in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Once completed, I-5 will have five regular freeway lanes and one HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane in each direction at the location. Seven new bridges will be built as part of the project. In addition, Valley View Avenue will be widened from four to six lanes. Start date for the project was November 2016. Work is scheduled to finish in early 2021. Funding for the project is from a combination of state, federal and MTA funds. The improvement projects are divided into I-5 North and I-5 South Corridor construction projects. $631M Interchange Under Way on I-5 The Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved a $43.4 billion plan that will serve as a blueprint for how people move throughout the county for the next two decades and beyond. OCTA, the county’s transportation planning agency, develops a Long-Range Transportation Plan every four years, taking into consideration changing demographics and anticipated growth in travel demand. A copy of the plan, called Designing Tomorrow, can be reviewed online at octa.net/lrtp. “OCTA has earned a reputation for delivering a reliable state-of-the-art transportation system for Orange County,” said Lisa Bartlett, OCTA chairwoman, also the county’s Fifth District supervisor. “It is precisely this kind of plan- ning, with input from the public and collaboration with our stakeholders, that ensures we are successful in preparing for a diverse transportation future.” The plan establishes transportation priorities and analyzes revenue challenges and emerging transportation issues and technologies. Orange County’s population is expected to grow by 10 percent or by about 311,000 people by 2040, and employ- ment is anticipated to grow by 17 percent — or about 275,000 jobs — over the same time period. By 2040, it is projected that an additional 1.7 million daily trips will occur in Orange County. That’s a 12 percent increase compared to now. Without the OCTA plan and OCTA Plans for $43B Investment in Transportation CALIFORNIA STATE SECTION Your California Connection – Debbie Hansen – 1-702-239-0348 – [email protected] “The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” 97 139 395 395 299 89 44 44 299 101 101 101 1 20 99 70 50 49 36 89 89 299 70 65 1 1 152 33 101 101 198 198 33 180 41 190 395 395 6 120 140 120 99 99 49 120 395 101 1 46 178 65 58 127 395 1 101 14 86 95 14 5 5 5 5 5 5 15 15 15 40 10 505 280 880 80 5 5 5 5 5 5 15 15 15 40 10 505 8 280 880 80 80 680 580 10 10 Crescent City Eureka Rio Dell Burney Chico Oroville Leggett Fort Fort Bragg Bragg Point Arena Tahoe City Auburn Sacramento Santa Rosa San Francisco Oakland Oakland Berkley Berkley San Jose San Jose Santa Cruz Modesto Sonora San Diego Oceanside Palm Springs Palm Springs Riverside San Bernadino Long Beach Santa Ana Santa Ana Los Angeles Los Angeles Glendale Santa Monica Barstow Barstow Santa Barbara Ventura Santa Maria San Luis Obispo Bakersfield Bakersfield Baker Death Valley Junction Death Valley Junction Montery Madera Madera Fresno King City Lucia Lucia South Lake Tahoe see OCTA page 23 Caltrans District 7 photo Seven new bridges will be built as part of the project. In addition, Valley View Avenue will be widened from four to six lanes. see INTERCHANGE page 24