Octa's transportation blog

OCTA Signs Design-Build Contract for I-405 Improvement Project

On January 31, 2017, OCTA's CEO, Darrell Johnson, signed a $1.2 billion contract with OC 405 Partners for the design and construction of the I-405 Improvement Project.  This is the largest contract in OCTA's history.  With this signature, OCTA has issued Notice to Proceed No. 1 to the design-build team, which marks the official beginning of the I-405 Improvement Project.

In November, the OCTA Board of Directors selected OC 405 Partners to design and construct the I-405 Improvement Project. OC 405 Partners is a team of firms led by OHL USA, Inc. and Astaldi Construction Corporation.

The project is the first in the state being built using the design-build authority provided under Assembly Bill 401 by Assemblyman Tom Daly, passed in 2013. AB 401 provides authority for regional transportation agencies and Caltrans to use the design-build method of project delivery on state highway projects, resulting in cost and time savings.

The project, set to begin construction this year, includes adding one regular lane in each direction – as promised in Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements – and building the 405 Express Lanes in the center of the freeway. 

In addition to constructing the new lanes, the project will rebuild 18 bridges and improve freeway access and traffic on local streets. All of this work is critical to accommodate expected employment, population and housing growth in not only Orange County, but throughout the region. Traffic on I-405 is anticipated to grow by 30 percent in the next 25 years.