Caltrans District 7 photoSafety, better mobility and a needfor an upgrade are primary reasons for the project.

By Chuck HarveyCEG CORRESPONDENT

A $631M project is considered as a big step towardreducing traffic on Interstate 5 in southern Los Angelesand northern Orange counties.Known as the Valley View Avenue Interchange Project,

work is centered in La Mirada and spans 1.5 mi. of I-5. Itis part of major I-5 improvements in Los Angeles andOrange counties.Once completed, I-5 will have five regular freeway

lanes and one HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane in eachdirection at the location.Seven new bridges will be built as part of the project.

In addition, Valley View Avenue will be widened fromfour to six lanes.Start date for the project was November 2016. Work is

scheduled to finish in early 2021.Funding for the project is from a combination of state,

federal and MTA funds. The improvement projects are divided into I-5 North

and I-5 South Corridor construction projects.

$631M Interchange Under Way on I-5

The Orange County Transportation Authority Board ofDirectors has approved a $43.4 billion plan that will serve asa blueprint for how people move throughout the county forthe next two decades and beyond.OCTA, the county’s transportation planning agency,

develops a Long-Range Transportation Plan every fouryears, taking into consideration changing demographics andanticipated growth in travel demand.A copy of the plan, called Designing Tomorrow, can be

reviewed online at octa.net/lrtp.“OCTA has earned a reputation for delivering a reliable

state-of-the-art transportation system for Orange County,”said Lisa Bartlett, OCTA chairwoman, also the county’sFifth District supervisor. “It is precisely this kind of plan-ning, with input from the public and collaboration with ourstakeholders, that ensures we are successful in preparing fora diverse transportation future.”The plan establishes transportation priorities and analyzes

revenue challenges and emerging transportation issues andtechnologies.Orange County’s population is expected to grow by 10

percent or by about 311,000 people by 2040, and employ-ment is anticipated to grow by 17 percent — or about275,000 jobs — over the same time period.By 2040, it is projected that an additional 1.7 million daily

trips will occur in Orange County. That’s a 12 percentincrease compared to now. Without the OCTA plan and

OCTA Plans for$43B Investmentin Transportation

CALIFORNIA STATE SECTION

Your California Connection – Debbie Hansen – 1-702-239-0348 – dhansen@cegltd.com“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

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299

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152

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680

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1010

Crescent City

EurekaRio Dell

Burney

ChicoOroville

Leggett

FortFortBraggBragg

Point ArenaTahoe City

Auburn

SacramentoSanta Rosa

San Francisco OaklandOaklandBerkleyBerkley

San JoseSan Jose

Santa Cruz

Modesto

Sonora

San Diego

Oceanside

Palm SpringsPalm Springs

Riverside

San Bernadino

Long BeachSanta AnaSanta Ana

Los AngelesLos AngelesGlendale

Santa Monica

BarstowBarstow

Santa Barbara Ventura

Santa Maria

San Luis Obispo

BakersfieldBakersfield Baker

Death Valley JunctionDeath Valley Junction

Montery

MaderaMaderaFresno

King City

LuciaLucia

SouthLakeTahoe

see OCTA page 23

Caltrans District 7 photoSeven new bridges will be built as part of the project. Inaddition, Valley View Avenue will be widened from fourto six lanes.see INTERCHANGE page 24