Orange Country Transportation Authority

San Diego Freeway (I-405) Improvement Project

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Today, the San Diego Freeway (I-405) is one of the most congested freeways in Orange County, carrying more than 300,000 vehicle trips in some sections each day. Traffic volumes on the I-405 are expected to increase significantly and the population is expected to grow 11 percent by 2040.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in cooperation with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), is proposing to widen the San Diego Freeway (I-405) between State Route 73 (SR-73) and Interstate 605 (I-605). The purpose of the proposed improvement is to improve travel conditions for work, recreation, school, and commerce by increasing freeway capacity, improving traffic and interchange operations, and enhancing road safety to meet state and federal standards.

Draft Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR/EIS)

As required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Caltrans, in cooperation with OCTA, is preparing an Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the I-405 Improvement Project. The EIR/EIS analyzes factors that include, but are not limited to, the following: aesthetics, cultural resources, biological resources, hazardous wastes and materials, public services and facilities, water quality, floodplain, noise, air quality, recreation, community impacts, and transportation/traffic.

The I-405 Draft Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR/EIS), released in May 2012, included three build alternatives as well as a No Build Alternative. The draft EIR/EIS document is available on Caltrans’ website at the following address:

 www.dot.ca.gov/dist12/405/index.php

Throughout the project development process, OCTA worked closely with a variety of stakeholders to keep them apprised of the project status and alternatives under consideration. During the DEIR/EIS public review period between May 18 and July 17, 2012, OCTA and Caltrans held four public hearings and received more than 1,200 comments. Each comment received during the public review process will be formally responded to in the Final EIR/EIS.

On October 22, 2012, the OCTA Board of Directors selected Alternative 1 as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). Alternative 1 meets the commitment promised to Orange County voters in Measure M2 (Project K) to add one general purpose (GP) lane in each direction from Euclid Street to Interstate 605 (I-605) and improve interchanges within the project limits.

Circulation of the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement

During the initial DEIR/EIS public review period, Caltrans received comments on potential traffic impacts within the City of Long Beach. In an effort to address these comments, Caltrans prepared a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate the existing and future traffic flow conditions within the Los Angeles County traffic study area including at a minimum, demand, capacity and level of service for the mainline freeway and arterial street intersections within the City of Long Beach not considered in the Draft EIR/EIS.

The public will be provided a 45-day review period for the Supplemental Draft EIR/EIS beginning in June 2013. Reviewers are requested to limit their comments to only information that is provided in the Supplemental Draft EIR/EIS. Comments that are received on information included in the Supplemental Draft EIR/EIS will be responded to, and these responses will be provided in the Final EIR/EIS, along with responses to comments on the original Draft EIR/EIS.

For more information about the circulation click here.

Option A and B Screening

In addition to the three build alternatives included in the DEIR/EIS, there have been recent suggestions by members of the Board and Caltrans to consider new concepts. These concepts all include the existing M2 Project K which adds one GP lane in each direction as approved by the voters.

At April 22, 2013 board meeting staff was directed to screen two new concepts for improvements to the I-405 freeway:

Concept A: The first concept is considered a new Project alternative for the DEIR/EIS. It is assumed this alternative would be constructed within the existing footprint of one of the existing Project alternatives that have been studied. It includes adding another GP lane in each direction (two new GP lanes, similar to Project Alternative 2) and also converting the existing HOV lane to a single HOT lane. It assumes that the occupancy rate of the HOV lane would be changed to a minimum requirement of three or more persons per carpool. This concept may address the degraded HOV condition and the tolls may provide supplemental funding for the Project. The screening will consider traffic and revenue implications; identify additional right-of-way needed for this concept. On completion of this T&R Study, the Board could determine if this concept is viable and whether it should move forward in the DEIR/EIS.

Concept B: The second concept being forwarded by Project corridor cities is a design variation of the existing Project Alternative 2. The concept is to build Alternative 2 and truncate the second northbound GP lane at Valley View Street. The intent of this concept is to avoid impacts to the soundwall, which borders the I-405 along Almond Avenue. The second GP lane is beyond the scope of the M2 project and is unfunded. Preliminary analyses, which includes participation by Caltrans, has determined this concept unfeasible due to the traffic impacts at the confluence of SR-22 and I-405, anextremely high volume traffic area, which would result in significant bottlenecks on the mainline freeway as well as traffic impacts to surface streets within the cities of Garden Grove, Seal Beach, and Westminster. However, a more in-depth traffic analysis of this option will be completed.

Staff will return to the Board of Directors in September 2013 for further discussion of existing alternatives and to present findings from the analysis of the new concepts.

Public Outreach  

Community outreach will continue through construction to inform the public about important project features and milestones and to respond to questions and concerns.