With the recent completion and opening of two bridges, the I-405 Improvement Project reached two milestones in mid-October.
Bushard Street opened to traffic on October 12 and McFadden Avenue followed four days later on October 16. The two bridges are among 18 to be built, widened or replaced as part of the project, which aims to reduce travel times on I-405 between Costa Mesa and the Los Angeles County line.
“The opening of the McFadden Avenue and Bushard Street bridges not only makes it easier than ever for residents to get around their communities, but also marks an important step toward an improved 405 Freeway for all of Orange County,” said OCTA Chairman Steve Jones, also the mayor of Garden Grove. “Thank you to the residents and businesses near the project for their continued patience. I know construction is never easy, but these improvements will benefit the region for decades to come.”
The McFadden Avenue bridge, which links Huntington Beach and Westminster, was demolished in August 2018. The new bridge doubles the number of lanes and adds new sidewalks and bike lanes in both directions.
Bushard Street, located in Fountain Valley, has been under construction since August 2019. The new bridge is similar to the old one, with two lanes in each direction, along with sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the street.
Later in October, crews are scheduled to begin demolishing the Brookhurst Street and Edinger Avenue bridges.
The Brookhurst Street bridge in Fountain Valley is being reconstructed in two stages, one half at a time, allowing it to remain open to traffic in both directions during construction. The first half of the bridge is expected to take approximately 16 months to complete.
The Edinger Avenue bridge in Westminster, like McFadden Avenue and Bushard Street, will be demolished and reconstructed in one stage, so it will be fully closed to traffic during construction. The bridge is scheduled to close on October 23 for approximately a year and a half.
Detours will be in place to guide drivers around all the closures. Up-to-date closure and detour information is available on the project’s interactive map or the project’s mobile app. To download the free app, search for 405 Improvement in the App Store or in Google Play.
The $1.9 billion I-405 Improvement Project will add one regular lane in each direction between Euclid Street and I-605, and a second lane in each direction in the center of the freeway from SR-73 to I-605 that will combine with the existing carpool lanes to form the 405 Express Lanes.
This 16-mile segment of I-405 is one of the most heavily traveled stretches of highway in the nation, and drivers routinely face severe congestion in both the regular lanes and carpool lanes. The project is critical to accommodate expected employment, population and housing growth throughout the region.
For more information about the I-405 Improvement Project, visit here.