Its design also incorporates climate resilience elements, especially against flooding and earthquake risks, as well as pedestrian and bike-friendly elements. It will also create more reliable and timely access to job centers, schools and to essential services for residents of this region. Overall, the I-405 project aims to improve operations on one of the most congested freeways in the country and is expected to generate about 26,000 jobs. The bureau is the US DOT go-to organization to help project sponsors develop, finance and deliver transportation infrastructure projects. US DOT provides TIFIA and other surface transportation infrastructure financing through the Build America Bureau. The loan proceeds will finance part of the construction costs. The funding has been provided as a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) direct loan. OCTA expects to open the project to the public by October 2023. The project also includes improvements to freeway entrances, exits and bridges. “This gives people hope that we will start resolving long-standing congestion issues on the 91.The new tolled express lanes will combine with the existing high occupancy vehicle lane to create two express lanes in each direction. “What OCTA did is exactly what would have happened under my bill,” Daucher said. The measure by Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher (R-Brea) would have authorized the use of state funds to compensate California Private Transportation for any loss of revenue. The authority decided to take action on the lane addition after an Assembly bill to expedite the project stalled in the Legislature. Formal negotiations for a sale are scheduled to begin this month or in February. OCTA officials said Wednesday that the money should be repaid if the authority proceeds with a proposal to buy out the entire tollway. Others such as Supervisor Tom Mullen welcomed the OCTA project, saying that people on his side of the county line “should be appreciative of the fact that Orange County is trying to solve the same problems they are dealing with.” Supervisor Bob Buster said the project allows California Private Transportation Co., the owners of the 91 Express Lanes, to exploit the franchise agreement to increase revenue. The county’s pending lawsuit against the tollway and Caltrans alleges that the franchise agreement is unconstitutional. Some Riverside County officials have criticized the lane addition, saying government funds should not be paid to a private company in order to make a public highway safer and less congested. The settlement provided for a sixth lane in the project area by 2006 at the earliest. OCTA officials say the lane project will be completed at least two years earlier than contemplated under a court settlement reached a few years ago after the Express Lanes sued Caltrans to halt a widening project. Under the agreement with the tollway, OCTA buses also will be able to use the Express Lanes without paying the toll. In addition to the $4 million to compensate the toll lane owners, the roadwork itself will cost nearly $8 million. “Small projects like this can make a huge difference.” “That lane drop has been a big problem for commuters,” said Corona Councilman Jeff Miller, who uses the Riverside Freeway to get to work in Orange County. At the same time, vehicles in the right lanes are merging to the left. Traffic slows dramatically as motorists in the carpool lanes merge to the right to avoid the toll lanes. The area is now a classic bottleneck because the highway narrows from six lanes to five for a short distance after entering Orange County. Restriping will take place in the next couple of months to add a temporary lane until the project is finished in January 2004. The project will add a sixth lane along 1,000 yards of westbound freeway just east of Coal Canyon Road. “This is what happens when you cooperate rather than litigate.” “We are happy we could work with Caltrans and OCTA to bring an improvement to the 91 earlier than would have happened otherwise,” said Greg Hulsizer, general manager of the Express Lanes. Company officials say a dip in ridership is possible if a new public lane is added and freeway travel times are improved. More than 30,000 trips a day are made on the Express Lanes. ![]() ![]() OCTA and tollway officials described the $4-million payment as a fair compromise that will compensate the Express Lanes for a potential loss of business while allowing a much-needed improvement to the freeway. If trends continue, more than 400,000 car trips a day will be made through the corridor by 2020. Motorists make 250,000 to 270,000 trips a day on the Riverside Freeway through Santa Ana Canyon-most of them commuters headed from Riverside and San Bernardino counties to jobs in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
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