Freeway Projects

Today, nearly 360,000 motorists travel I-5 daily between San Joaquin Hills Toll Road (SR-73) and El Toro Road. Transportation planners expect traffic volumes to grow 25 percent by 2045. To address this travel demand, Caltrans in partnership with OCTA is implementing the San Diego Freeway (I-5) Widening project from SR-73 to El Toro Road to improve I-5 travel in southern Orange County.

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 Interstate 5 Freeway (I-5) through the cities of Irvine and Tustin is essential to Orange County’s mobility, economy and quality of life. It is a major commuter and commercial corridor, and serves as a “bridge” that connects Orange County to Los Angeles County and San Diego County. Today, this segment of I-5 is one of the most highly traveled and congested freeway corridors in the nation.

Local Interchange Upgrades Caltrans has incorporated upgrades to interchanges within the scope of work for many of the I-5 South County Improvement Projects.

Motorists frequently experience traffic congestion on the I-5 freeway between SR-55 and SR-57, and research indicates that delays likely will increase. According to recent studies, 380,000 motorists travel this route every day.

This project was completed in 2018. With the opening of the extended HOV lanes and the reconstruction of the Avenida Pico Interchange, the I-5 South County Improvements Project is complete. This 5.7 mile project, a partnership between OCTA and Caltrans, extended the carpool lane in each direction of I-5 from San Juan Capistrano to San Clemente. The project also reconstructed the Avenida Pico interchange, adding dual left-turn lanes to both on-ramps and widening the northbound on-ramp to three lanes.

This project was completed in 2015. Caltrans District 12 reconstructed the Ortega Highway interchange at the I-5 freeway in San Juan Capistrano. Construction began in February 2013 and was completed in late 2015. The work included widening the Ortega Highway Bridge, reconstructing on- and off-ramps, constructing a new northbound I-5 loop on-ramp from eastbound Ortega Highway as well as realigning the Ortega Highway interchange. The project was initiated by Caltrans, OCTA and the City of San Juan Capistrano, as the solution to the "choke point", where significant delays and congestion occur along the Ortega Highway (SR-74) at the San Diego Freeway (I-5) interchange.

OCTA in cooperation with The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is widening the San Diego Freeway (I-405) between State Route 73 (SR-73) and Interstate 605 (I-605).The project will improve 16 miles of I-405 between the SR-73 freeway in Costa Mesa and I-605 near the L.A. County line.

Interstate 405, also known as the San Diego Freeway, consists of 24 miles in Orange County and 48 miles in Los Angeles County. It serves as bypass route to I-5, and is a major local, regional and interregional travel route. The I-405 freeway also provides indirect and direct access to employment centers, recreational attractions, shopping malls, medical centers, universities, airports, and other land uses. Between I-5 and SR-55 and within the project limits, this segment of I-405 services the communities of southern Orange County, including the cities of Irvine and Costa Mesa.Currently, the I-405 freeway between I-5 and SR-55 is experiencing congestion and long traffic delays during peak traffic periods due to traffic demand exceeding capacity.

The Costa Mesa Freeway, State Route 55 (SR-55), was originally constructed in 1962 as a four lane (two in each direction) highway. Within the next ten years one additional lane was added in each direction. In 1985, Orange County's first carpool lane was added between the I-405 and the SR-91 freeway. The freeway was also extended to 19th Street in Costa Mesa in the late 80's. With the help of Measure M, Orange County's half cent sales tax for transportation improvements, along with additional state and federal dollars, the face of the SR-55 continued to change.

The Costa Mesa (SR-55) Freeway is one of the most heavily congested freeways in Southern California, and future demand is only expected to increase congestion. The SR-55 serves as a vital link to other major freeway systems within Orange County, and it is the only freeway providing a direct north-south connection between Central Orange County and the Coastal Region. Currently, the SR-55 between Interstate 5 (I-5) and State Route 91 (SR-91) has three to four general purpose lanes, one carpool lane and some auxiliary lanes in each direction.

For more than 50 years, the Orange Freeway (SR-57) has been integrally linked to Orange County's growth and legacy. During its five-decade history, this freeway has been uniquely intertwined with the evolution of many of the county's most notable attractions. Like the region and destinations it serves, the SR-57 is a classic landmark unto itself.

The Orange Freeway (SR-57) from Lambert Road to Tonner Canyon Road is an important truck route and an integral part of Southern California’s freeway network

This project was completed in 2014. The Orange Freeway (SR-57) is an important truck route and an integral part of Southern California’s freeway network. In an effort to improve traffic flow, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 12, added a general-purpose lane to northbound SR-57 from Katella Avenue off-ramp to Lincoln Avenue on-ramp in Anaheim.

This project was completed in 2014. The Orange Freeway (SR-57) is an important truck route and an integral part of Southern California’s freeway network. Drivers experienced substantial traffic congestion during peak afternoon hours. This project provided an additional northbound (NB) lane on the Orange Freeway (SR-57), and widened all existing NB lanes and the NB median shoulder to standard widths. The project was broken down into two segments, Orangethorpe to Lambert and Yorba Linda to Lambert.

This project adds one general-purpose lane (bringing the total to 6 lanes in each direction) on SR-91 between SR-241 and I-15. Since the SR-91 corridor is one of the busiest in the region, implementation of this project requires constructing the improvements under multiple segments to minimize impacts to the traveling public.

Caltrans District 12 and OCTA have kicked-off the Project Approval/Environmental Document (environmental review) phase for the SR-91 Widening Project between SR-57 and SR-55. Still in the earliest of planning phases, this potential/proposed project is intended to improve traffic flow and operations in both directions along SR-91 within the cities of Fullerton and Anaheim. This project is funded by OCTA’s Measure M Investment Plan – which was passed by nearly 70% of Orange County voters in 2006.

This project was completed in 2016. OCTA and Caltrans District 12 relieved congestion and improved operational efficiency on the 91 freeway in the northeastern part of Anaheim by extending a westbound lane from the northbound (NB) SR-55/westbound (WB) SR-91 connector through the Tustin Avenue interchange. In addition, a westbound auxiliary lane from east of the NB SR-55/WB SR-91 connector to the Tustin Avenue off-ramp was reconstructed.

This project was completed in 2016. OCTA and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 12 added a new, four-mile westbound general purpose lane to State Route 91 between State Route 57 and Interstate 5.

This project was completed in 2012. County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), added 6 miles in the westbound and eastbound directions to the Riverside Freeway (SR-91) between the Costa Mesa Freeway (SR-55) and Eastern Toll Road (SR-241) in eastern Orange County to reduce traffic congestion.

This project was completed in 2010. The Riverside Freeway (SR-91) Eastbound Lane Addition Project is the first in a series of projects intended to increase capacity, relieve congestion and improve mobility on SR-91. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), added a lane to the eastbound Riverside Freeway (SR-91) between the Eastern Toll Road (SR-241) in eastern Orange County and the Corona Expressway (SR-71) in western Riverside County.

This project was completed in 2008. The Garden Grove Freeway (SR-22) is an integral part of Southern California’s freeway network. To address specific freeway and local street congestion at Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street and Harbor Boulevard, interchanges access improvements were included in Measure M2 (also known as OC Go).

In May 2007, OCTA began operating the Garden Grove Freeway (SR-22) Continuous Access Carpool Lanes.

This project was completed in 2015. The West County Connectors project is now complete. The project was a joint partnership between OCTA and Caltrans linking high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes/carpool lanes on the San Diego Freeway (I-405) with those on the Garden Grove Freeway (SR-22) and San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) to create a seamless carpool connection amongst the three freeways.

This project will improve freeway access and street connections, traffic flow, safety, and pedestrian and bicycle pathways within the I-605/Katella Avenue interchange area in West Orange County, serving the cities of Los Alamitos, Cypress and Long Beach, and the community of Rossmoor.