A recently opened six-mile stretch of westbound State Route 91 (SR-91) offers drivers greater efficiency and safety thanks to new general-purpose and auxiliary lanes and widened bridges and ramps.
Located between State Route 57 (SR-57) and Interstate 5 (I-5), the improved area includes four miles of new general-purpose lanes in the westbound direction and auxiliary lanes that allow traffic to more smoothly enter and exit the freeway. The improvements were led by OCTA and Caltrans.
While the new lanes on SR-91 were opened as soon as they were safely available for drivers, periodic nighttime lane closures are expected while workers touch up lane striping and put the finishing touches on the project.
The $61 million improvement project was paid for with a combination of state Prop. 1B and local funds from Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.
Since 2010, 19 new lane miles have been added to SR-91 in Orange County. Two more lane miles are being added between Lakeview and Tustin avenues via a project scheduled for completion later this year.
SR-91 is one the region's most congested commuter and commercial corridors, connecting residential communities in Riverside with employment centers in Orange County. Today, more than 300,000 commuters travel this essential freeway each day to work, school, home and other essential destinations; by 2035, that number is expected to increase to 425,000 daily drivers.
