Local, state and federal officials gathered on March 7 to commemorate the launch of the SR-91 Improvement Project, a significant effort aimed at improving mobility, enhancing safety and overall traffic flow along one of Orange County’s busiest transportation corridors.
The transformative project between SR-57 and SR-55 will reduce congestion, improve travel times and provide safer conditions for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The $779 million project, led by OCTA in partnership with Caltrans, is designed to enhance connections between major freeways while modernizing key interchanges to reduce weaving and merging, as well as to rebuild major overcrossings to include new safety features, sidewalks and bike lanes.
“These improvements to SR-91 are essential to supporting the growing and evolving transportation needs of Orange County residents, commuters, and businesses,” said OCTA Chair Doug Chaffee, who is also Orange County’s Fourth District Supervisor. “This project will help reduce bottlenecks and create more reliable travel times for the thousands of drivers who rely on this corridor every day.”
The project will be implemented in three segments and is funded through OCTA’s Measure M half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, state funding including Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) – the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, federal funds that include Community Project Funding, and excess toll revenues from the 91 Express Lanes being reinvested to help everyone who travels through the area.
Up to 321,000 vehicles travel on this stretch of SR-91 daily, and that number is expected to rise in the coming years. The planned improvements will help alleviate congestion and enhance safety and connectivity with neighboring communities, including the cities of Anaheim, Orange, Placentia, Fullerton and Yorba Linda.
In addition to improving freeway operations, the project will modernize infrastructure to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists by incorporating wider ADA-accessible sidewalks and safety enhancements along reconstructed overcrossings.
“The SR-91 Improvement Project is part of OCTA’s ongoing mission to provide a balanced and sustainable transportation network,” said OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson. “We appreciate the community’s ongoing patience and support as we work toward delivering much-needed traffic relief and long-term transportation solutions.”