The largest project in OCTA’s history, the I-405 Improvement Project will improve 16 miles of I-405 and add one regular lane in each direction from Euclid Street to I-605. It will also construct the 405 Express Lanes from SR-73 to I-605. This is the first part of an ongoing series that reports on what’s happening behind the scenes.
In January, OCTA hosted a partnering meeting for the I-405 Improvement Project. More than 85 people attended, including representatives from Caltrans, OCTA’s partner and sponsoring agency, Jacobs Engineering Group, the construction management consultants, and Parsons Corporation, the project management consultants.
“The purpose of the 405 Partnering Meeting was to lay the foundation for strong and open communication channels for the wide range of technical teams involved in this project,” said Jeff Mills, OCTA’s program manager for the I-405 Improvement Project. “OCTA and its consultant teams, along with Caltrans, met to discuss the project’s roles and responsibilities, the nuances of the design-build delivery method and to get to know one another before the project breaks ground. It was a successful meeting because it truly foreshadowed the teamwork that will be crucial for a project of this magnitude and complexity.”
OCTA will use a design-build delivery method for the design and construction of the project. Design-build is a process that allows for project design and construction to occur simultaneously. One contractor is hired to perform both functions, which increases the speed and efficiency by which a project can be delivered.
Also in January, OCTA met with stakeholders along the I-405, including the Long Beach Airport, John Wayne Airport, multiple hotels near Irvine, and the Huntington Beach School Union District.
The project will last approximately 6 years with construction beginning in late 2017. The Express Lanes are expected to open in January 2023. For more information and project updates, visit here or contact Christina Byrne, Capital Projects Outreach Manager, at 405project@octa.net.