SANTA ANA : Main Street Bridge Reopens, Bigger and Better

How many public officials does it take to reopen a bridge?

About a dozen, if Wednesday’s reopening of the Main Street bridge, one the county’s major thoroughfares, is any indication.

The bridge, which spans the Santa Ana Freeway, was tripled in length to 872 feet to accommodate the widening of the freeway from six to 12 lanes. The widening project, extending from Dana Point north to the Los Angeles County line, is to be completed by 1997.

To relieve congestion, two lanes were added to the north-south bridge for a total of six, three in each direction. The extra lanes will double the capacity of the bridge from 38,000 to 76,000 cars per day.

By mid-1996, bridge “drop-ramps” are expected to open, allowing car-poolers to exit and enter freeway car-pool lanes directly, without having to weave through other lanes of traffic.

The bridge, which had been closed for almost two years during construction, was renovated at a cost of $74 million. Of that, $38 million was spent on construction, while another $36 million went to acquire right of way.

In addition to alleviating traffic, the bridge reopening is expected to improve business. The bridge is located next to the MainPlace/Santa Ana mall and the city’s museum district. Businesses also line Main Street in the area surrounding the bridge.

“Businesses have been struggling and surviving, but not like they want to,” said Mike Metzler, president of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, who spoke at Wednesday’s ceremony.

City officials could not recall more than two businesses, a restaurant and a motel, that closed due in part to traffic snarls related to the bridge closure.

At the bridge reopening, the national anthem was sung by John Flores, a local construction worker. A vintage 1940s firetruck was among the parade of vehicles that were first across the new span.