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February 16, 2007
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Construction on Ortega Hwy. to last three yearsBy Shannon Weatherford
Reporter
Caltrans announced this week they will begin a three-year, $40 million safety improvement project on a 3.3 mile stretch of the Ortega Highway beginning next Tuesday, February 20, impacting Canyon Lakers who utilize the highway as an alternative to commute into Orange County.
The project area, extending from the San Juan Creek Bridge to the Riverside County line, will be subject to lane reductions and full closures and Caltrans is urging commuters to seek alternate routes for the duration of the construction, as long delays are expected. Overnight work will close the highway down completely between the hours of 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. and daytime work will limit travel to one lane; during peak commuting hours, priority will be given to westbound traffic during the morning commute and eastbound traffic in the evening. Flagging operations will be in place to help direct commuters.
Funding for the project has been secured through the State Highway Operation Protection Program (SHOPP) and Caltrans says the goal is to reduce accidents along State Route 74. Work will include the removal of protruding rock walls to improve drivers’ sight distances, widening lanes from the existing 10 feet to the standard 12 feet, improving and adding turnouts as well as adding 4 ft. shoulders along each side of the highway, improving drainage facilities into San Juan Creek, adding safety enhancements to reduce road closures due to rock slides and placing rumble strips in the median.
Caltrans will be hosting two community open houses over the next two weeks to provide more details and help answer commuters questions about the work, with the first planned for February 20 in San Juan Capistrano. The second is scheduled for Monday, February 26, in Lake Elsinore. Locations and times will be posted on Caltrans’ District 12 website at www.dot.ca.gov/district12. Commuters may also call the Orange County Transportation Helpline at 800-724-0353 for more information.
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