Today, nearly 360,000 motorists travel I-5 daily between SR-73 and El Toro Road. Transportation planners expect traffic volumes to grow 25 percent by 2045. To address this travel demand, OCTA and Caltrans are working together to implement the I-5 Widening project from SR-73 to El Toro Road. Construction will be done in three segments. Crews began work on the first segment from Oso Parkway to Alicia Parkway in 2019.
In March, construction will begin on the second segment, a 2.1-mile stretch between SR-73 and Oso Parkway that borders Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Niguel. Improvements include adding one general purpose lane to increase capacity and reconstructing Avery Parkway to expand it from four to six lanes, increase bike lane width, install sidewalks on both sides of the street, and construct monument walls under the bridge featuring a pastoral ranch theme.
Other project improvements include new and improved merging lanes and the conversion of carpool lanes to continuous access to make it easier to enter and exit.
For more information about the I-5 Widening Project, please visit here.