The I-5 Improvement Project from the County Line to Avenida Pico Interchange proposes to reduce traffic congestion and improve inter-county connectivity between Orange County and San Diego County. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 12 and the City of San Clemente, are proposing improvements to 4.8 miles of Interstate 5 (I-5) in the City of San Clemente from south of the San Diego County line to Avenida Pico (Project). The map below provides a high-level snapshot of the entire project area, with the proposed improvement area highlighted in yellow.

The Project is in the environmental review phase, during which the Project Report and Environmental Document will be developed. One No Build Alternative and two Build Alternatives will be studied. The proposed Build Alternative roadway and capacity improvements include:

• Alternative 2: Add one HOV lane in each direction along I-5
• Alternative 3: Implement Transportation System Management (TSM) and Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

The I-5 freeway, a major freeway corridor, serves as a:

• Inter-regional and interstate travel and goods movement route.
• Connection between Orange County with San Diego County to the south and to Los Angeles County to the north.
• Main route to beaches and tourist attractions in the City of San Clemente, San Onofre State Beach, and United States Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

To view the project presentation delivered to the City of San Clemente City Council, click here, beginning on April 20, 2022.

To contact project staff, please call the number and/or email provided at the top of this page.

The preliminary engineering and environmental review process is a multi-year process that includes technical studies and opportunities for public participation and comment, including a public scoping meeting and public hearing.

Generally speaking, the environmental process is a 6-step process. The graphic below provides a high-level overview of the process, including a brief description of the purpose and work that takes place at each step. Currently, the environmental process is estimated to be completed in Winter 2024, a little more than two years from now. However, please note that the project schedule is subject to change.

At this time, the project’s scoping meeting is anticipated to take place in the Summer 2022. Members of the public who are interested in attending the public scoping meeting and following the project as it moves forward are invited to sign-up for project alerts here.

As a major freeway improvement project, this project is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans District 12) provides environmental oversight. For your convenience, below are links to NEPA, CEQA and Caltrans’ Office of Environmental Analysis.

As this project moves forward, public notices, meeting dates and other project information, such as presentation boards will be uploaded and hosted on this page.

• Fact Sheet
• National Environmental Policy Act
• California Environmental Quality Act
• California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) office of Environmental Analysis