ORANGE, Calif., Jan. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ —
WHAT: |
The Orange County Transportation Authority, in cooperation with Caltrans, is leading the I-405 Improvement Project between State Route 73 in Costa Mesa and Interstate 605 at the Orange County border with Los Angeles County. |
The $1.9 billion project, funded with a combination of local, state and federal funds, will be the largest highway project under construction in California and the second largest in state history. |
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The project is adding one regular lane in each direction of the I-405 between Costa Mesa and I-605, as promised to voters through Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. The project is also adding a second lane in each direction that combined with the existing carpool lanes will create the 405 Express Lanes. |
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Media is invited to attend this event to commemorate the groundbreaking on the largest project in Orange County’s history. |
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WHEN: |
9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 26 |
WHERE: |
IKEA parking lot, 1475 S. Coast Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 |
WHO: |
Scheduled speakers include:
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WHY: |
I-405 is the most heavily traveled freeway in the nation, with roughly 377,000 daily vehicle trips near the county line. Traffic is only going to continue growing, with a 30 percent increase expected by 2040. |
Set to open in 2023, improvements will reduce travel times for all drivers on I-405. Without the project, by 2040 it would take more than two hours to travel this 16-mile stretch, but with the improvements travel times will be reduced to about 30 minutes in the regular lanes and about 15 minutes if a driver chooses to take the 405 Express Lanes. |
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During morning and afternoon rush hours, it now takes approximately an hour to get between Costa Mesa and the L.A. County line, a trip that takes about 15 minutes with free-flowing traffic. |
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joel Zlotnik (714) 560-5713
Eric Carpenter (714) 560-5697
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/19-billion-i-405-improvement-project-kicks-off-300588503.html
SOURCE Orange County Transportation Authority