Earlier this month, officials from OCTA and the cities of Placentia and Anaheim celebrated the opening of the new Kraemer Boulevard undercrossing, which separates car traffic from the busy freight rail line. The roadway had been closed since January 2012. Landscaping and other activities will be completed during the next month.
Speakers at the July 8 event in Placentia included OCTA Chairman Shawn Nelson, also Chairman of the Board of Supervisors; OCTA Director and Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait; OCTA Director and La Habra Councilman Tim Shaw; OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson; and Placentia Mayor Scott Nelson. OCTA Director Gregory Winterbottom also attended.
The Kraemer undercrossing is the second of seven projects completed along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line as part of OCTA’s $630 million O.C. Bridges program. About 70 trains, some more than a mile in length, travel the corridor through Fullerton, Anaheim and Placentia every day. That frequency is expected to climb to 130 per day by 2030, causing major delays for drivers. The overcrossings and undercrossings separate vehicle and pedestrian traffic from train traffic, eliminating the need for cars to stop at rail crossings and allowing drivers to travel more safely and efficiently.
