‘Confusing’ Change Will Improve I-405’s Fairview Off-Ramp

Dear Street Smart:

I’m confused. For years, the Fairview off-ramp from the 405 freeway northbound has been one of the most efficient in the county. You exited on two lanes, but at the top of the ramp it split into three: a left-turn lane, a middle lane from which you could turn either way and a right-turn lane.

This system seemed to do a very good job of keeping what can be a very busy ramp relatively clear, even in the busiest of times. But now the wizards at Caltrans seemingly have seen fit to change it. After some work early this week, the ramp now ends with just two lanes: one to turn left, and one to turn right.

While there are still some temporary barricades up, this change does NOT seem temporary. The new lane markings and arrows seem very permanent indeed.

I’m very concerned that this change, and the subsequent delays it will cause on what is usually a very pleasant commute for me, will scar my psyche. Why the change? Accidents at the intersection because of indiscriminate right turns on red? Nothing better to do?

Alan Craig, Costa Mesa

It may not look it, but the construction and the changes to the turn lanes at the Fairview Road off-ramp are temporary. In the middle of November, Caltrans eliminated the optional turn lane to make room for a concrete barrier that separates construction activity from traffic, said Caltrans spokeswoman Pam Gorniak.

The construction at the Fairview off-ramp is part of a six-month ramp widening project that will include a new off-ramp at South Coast Drive, Gorniak said. When construction is completed, the Fairview off-ramp will return to its original configuration with the three turn lanes, she said.

The ramp widening will cost $2.75 million, Gorniak said. The city of Costa Mesa will pay 12% and the federal government the rest.

The ramp widening was approved because traffic exceeds capacity on the Bristol Street off-ramp near South Coast Plaza along with the merging of the San Diego/Corona Del Mar freeways.

Dear Street Smart:

The lights on the Camino Las Ramblas off-ramp from the southbound Interstate 5 have been out for several months. Who is responsible for the maintenance?

Fred Stewart

Capistrano Beach

Caltrans is responsible for the maintenance of our state highways. A Caltrans traffic operations crew did a night inspection after receiving your letter and found that some lights at that off-ramp weren’t working, agency spokeswoman Rose Orem said. They have been fixed.

All northbound lanes of Interstate 5 will be closed from midnight Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday and again from midnight Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday from Lake Forest Drive to Alton Parkway. The closure is the first stage of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s 2 1/2-year El Toro Y Interchange project.

Caltrans and a contractor will be re-striping traffic lanes and building temporary concrete barriers that separate traffic from construction. The re-striping will reduce lane width from 12 feet to 11 feet with no change in the total number of lanes.

Detour signs will redirect northbound Interstate 5 traffic off the freeway at Lake Forest Drive to Muirlands Boulevard to Alton Parkway to the northbound Interstate 5 and the San Diego Freeway on-ramps.

The El Toro Y project is funded primarily by the Measure M half-cent sales tax, which is used for transportation projects. The Y improvements include a new interchange at Bake Parkway, additional parallel lanes, redesigned exits, new car-pool lanes and freeway connectors.

Street Smart appears Mondays in The Times Orange County Edition. Readers are invited to submit comments and questions about traffic, commuting and what makes it difficult to get around in Orange County. Include simple sketches if helpful. Letters may be published in upcoming columns. Please write to Caroline Lemke, c/o Street Smart, The Times Orange County, P.O. Box 2008, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626. Include your full name, address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted.