Two major milestones in the O.C. Bridges program will make the drive easier for residents during the busy holiday season.
On Dec. 5, drivers used the new Tustin/Rose bridge over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks for the first time. Two lanes in each direction are open with limited access to eastbound Orangethorpe Avenue as work continues.
On Dec. 14, Chapman Avenue will reopen where it connects with Orangethorpe Avenue, allowing drivers to access and travel east on Orangethorpe underneath the new Tustin/Rose bridge.
Two of the seven projects in the O.C. Bridges Program, the Tustin/Rose and Orangethorpe bridges are expected to be completed and fully open to traffic by spring 2016.
O.C. Bridges separates car and pedestrian traffic from the busy rail line, enhancing safety and improving commute times by eliminating the need for drivers to wait at rail crossings.
Every day, 70 trains travel through the area. By 2030, that number is expected to nearly double to 130.
Each O.C. Bridges project is funded in part by Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, and by state and federal funds.