Octa's transportation blog

Project Will Improve I-5 Congestion in Santa Ana, Orange and Tustin

A project to improve traffic congestion on I-5 between SR-55 and SR-57 is moving forward. The section of I-5, used by more than 390,000 motorists each day, is currently subject to delays that are expected to increase over time. By 2030, the number of daily travelers is expected to rise to 464,000 – an increase of 19 percent.

OCTA, in partnership with Caltrans, will add a second carpool lane in each direction to relieve traffic congestion, alleviate bottlenecks and improve traffic operations on this corridor within the cities of Santa Ana, Orange and Tustin. The project also includes removing the I-5/Main Street carpool on- and off-ramps.

The project is in the final design stage. In this stage, project information is reviewed and updated, the scope of the project is refined, and data is collected on a number of factors such as the latest traffic operations, utility locations, existing road and bridge conditions, terrain and soil properties and drainage.

Experts including transportation planners, engineers, environmentalists, landscape architects, geologists and others use the data to develop a complete set of project plans that include a refined estimate of the construction costs and best practices for the construction phase.

The plans are about two-thirds complete. Construction is expected to begin in early 2018 and continue through 2020.

As the project moves through the final design stage and toward construction, the OCTA outreach team will continue to keep residents, businesses and community leaders informed.

To schedule a presentation or for additional project information, please visit our website. Information is also available on Facebook and Twitter at OCi5CentralCo.