• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
Dana Point Times
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On DP
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • DP Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • DP Surf
    • San Clemente Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of DP
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classified
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
    • Legal Notices
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Best of Dana Point
    • Crib to College
    • Dana Point Trolley Information & Route Map
    • Dolphin Football Preview
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Home Improvement Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Turkey Trot Event Guide
  • DP Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On DP
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • DP Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • DP Surf
    • San Clemente Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of DP
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classified
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
    • Legal Notices
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Best of Dana Point
    • Crib to College
    • Dana Point Trolley Information & Route Map
    • Dolphin Football Preview
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Home Improvement Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Turkey Trot Event Guide
  • DP Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
Dana Point Times
No Result
View All Result

Officials Hopeful I-5 Improvement Project Whips Backups

by Dana Point Times
January 30, 2014 11:44AM
in EYE ON DP, News Headlines
Officials Hopeful I-5 Improvement Project Whips Backups
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

$275 million Interstate 5 widening project kicks off at CUSD headquarters

Local and county officials broke ground Wednesday for the Orange County Transit Authority's I-5 widening project. Photo by Andrea Papagianis
Local and county officials broke ground Wednesday for the Orange County Transit Authority’s I-5 widening project. Photo by Andrea Papagianis

By Jim Shilander

County, city and transportation officials officially kicked off the Orange County Transit Authority’s Interstate 5 widening project at the Capistrano Unified School District’s San Juan Capistrano headquarters Wednesday.

The announcement promised the project would “whip traffic congestion,” accompanied by the sound of actual cracking whips.

Officials also urged residents to be patient during the construction, as the county agency and Caltrans try to alleviate the unique bottleneck that causes major weekend backups in the area by adding a high-occupancy vehicle lane from San Juan Creek Road in San Juan Capistrano to Avenida Pico in San Clemente.

As part of the project, the Pico interchange, an important transportation hub for the city, will be reconstructed and widened. It is projected to cost $249 million and last until 2017.

The project will likely begin construction on its first phases, between San Juan Creek and Pacific Coast Highway and then PCH to Avenida Vista Hermosa, in April. Staging and engineering work will be done in the months leading up to that start, OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnick said. Lane closures will likely largely be confined to the overnight hours.

Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates said the project represents “a promise kept,” referencing the highway spending promised by Measure M.

“The work here will benefit all of Orange County,” Bates said. “I-5 is the backbone for the transportation system here in south Orange County. It is the main street that serves more than 600,000 residents.”

San Clemente City Councilwoman and OCTA board member Lori Donchak said, as a regular commuter between San Clemente and San Juan, for work at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, she is more than familiar with the traffic issues affecting the area.

“There are a lot of people looking forward to the improved efficiency and safety that this corridor is going to afford,” Donchak said. “The OCTA is committed to delivering the M2 promise.” She also noted that the area has one of the few views of the ocean from the Interstate going south along I-5.

“It’s a beautiful piece of the country that we’re improving,” Donchak said.

She further pointed out that, unlike elsewhere in the county, the traffic is worse on the weekends than on weekdays, particularly during the summer, due to travelers coming to enjoy the area’s attractions or making their way between Los Angeles and San Diego.

San Juan Mayor Sam Allevato said the city hopes to take some of the lessons from another transportation project, the refurbishment of the Ortega Highway Bridge, as a model for working with businesses in the city.

“We’ve learned from the Ortega project to work closely with businesses and residents and with Caltrans and OCTA,” Allevato said. “We’re all partners in this. I think this project will expedite traffic through town. It’ll make folks’ commute a lot easier and less stressful. Hopefully it will alleviate some of the traffic on our local streets.”

Allevato said San Juan is frequently used by commuters looking to bypass backups on I-5.

“By adding these lanes, hopefully it’ll relieve congestion and keep people on the freeway,” Allevato said.

Donchak said she hopes residents will be patient with the construction.

“It’s not going to be business as usual,” Donchak said. “We need to drive more deliberately, safely and cautiously than ever.” She also encouraged residents to keep their eyes on the project and contact OCTA if anything is not as it should be.

“The biggest two question marks are how this is going to feel when the Marblehead Coastal project goes vertical, which is very soon, and what’s it going to be like in the summer,” Donchak said. The most significant work in San Clemente likely won’t begin until after the summer, however.

Bates said while the process may be painful for a time, the finished project is something she is hopeful about.

“I equate it to getting your kitchen remodeled,” Bates said. “You still have to cook and do all that, and it’s very painful, but once you walk into that brand-new kitchen, it’s a wonderful thing. Even with the little discomfort you suffered.”

Zlotnick said the agency would try to provide as much information as possible during construction, including sending out weekly email updates, as they have during the Ortega project.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
Tags: CaltransFeaturedImprovementsInterstate 5Joel ZlotnickLori DonchakMeasure MOrange County Board of SupervisorsOrange County Transportation AuthorityPat BatesSam AllevatoSan ClementeSan Juan CapistranoSouthern California
ShareTweetPin

Dana Point Times

Related Posts

Youth Program Shares Ocean Experiences from Dana Point Harbor

Youth Program Shares Ocean Experiences from Dana Point Harbor

January 31, 2023
Dana Point Chamber Recognizes Citizen, Business Leaders; Remembers Wayne Rayfield

Dana Point Chamber Recognizes Citizen, Business Leaders; Remembers Wayne Rayfield

January 27, 2023
Grom of the Week: Zaddock Hodgman

Grom of the Week: Zaddock Hodgman

January 27, 2023
Creativity Keeps Surfing Interesting

Creativity Keeps Surfing Interesting

January 27, 2023
Next Post

Sheriff's Blotter: Movie Extra Arrested for Drug Possession

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

DP Times Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get the DP Times delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Dana Point Times
  • San Clemente Times
  • The Capistrano Dispatch
  • DP Chamber Directory

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On DP
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • DP Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • DP Surf
    • San Clemente Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of DP
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classified
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
    • Legal Notices
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Best of Dana Point
    • Crib to College
    • Dana Point Trolley Information & Route Map
    • Dolphin Football Preview
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Home Improvement Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Turkey Trot Event Guide
  • DP Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.