At an event earlier this month, the Los Angeles Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized a freeway project that eases congestion in south Orange County and an advocate for strong infrastructure projects.
OCTA earned the award for Construction Project of the Year for the Interstate 5 HOV Improvement Project between Avenida Pico and Avenida Vista Hermosa.
The $230 million improvement project, which added six miles of carpool lanes in each direction to the I-5 freeway, was selected among projects from seven branches in the Southern California region for its unique technical achievements, complexity and engineering features.
Completed in 2018, the project added carpool lanes in each direction between Avenida Pico in San Clemente and San Juan Creek Road in San Juan Capistrano, significantly easing traffic congestion in those areas. It also improved freeway on-ramps and off-ramps and reconstructed the Avenida Pico interchange for better access and traffic flow.
Nearly 250,000 drivers travel this section of the freeway each day to and from San Diego County.
In addition, OCTA Director Lisa Bartlett was honored with an award for "Excellence in Promoting Infrastructure." She is an advocate for strong infrastructure projects through county agencies and public-private partnerships.