Costa Mesa prepares for Red Hill headache

Elise Gee

COSTA MESA -- The city is preparing to head off what could be major

traffic headaches and concerns from businesses over the closure of Red

Hill Avenue near the San Diego Freeway.

Construction on a number of “flyover” ramps connecting carpool lanes

between the San Diego and Costa Mesa freeways is scheduled to begin in

November. The $150-million project will require a nine-month closure of

Red Hill Avenue between Paularino Avenue and Pullman Street/Airport Loop

Drive, beginning in February.

That closure has businesses on Red Hill concerned about access, while

businesses along detour routes are concerned about diverted traffic.

Edward van Klaveren, who owns Specialty Bodyworks Inc. on Paularino

Avenue at Red Hill, said the closure will be an inconvenience to both his

customers and employees.

“People are going to get frustrated,” van Klaveren said. “If they can’t

find me, they’re not going to come here.”

Red Hill is being closed because the bridge that passes over the San

Diego Freeway must be demolished and rebuilt 16 feet higher to make way

for the flyover lanes.

Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce President Ed Fawcett said there is also a

level of concern from businesses in surrounding areas about traffic that

will be diverted onto Bristol, Paularino and Baker streets.

“At rush hour, Paularino and Baker westbound traffic is backed up heading

toward the freeway,” Fawcett said. “When they close Red Hill, it’s going

to be tougher.”

Because the city anticipates the closure will cause inconveniences to

motorists and businesses, as well as delay traffic, officials asked the

county for some measures to alleviate those problems.

The Orange County Transportation Authority has agreed to pay $25,000 to

help install left-turn signals at the intersection of Paularino Avenue

and the Costa Mesa Freeway, said Costa Mesa Transportation Services

Manager Peter Naghavi. It has also made a concession to adjust the timing

of lights at the intersection to alleviate traffic, he said. Those

changes will take place before Red Hill is closed.

Naghavi said he is also planning meetings with businesses later this year

to fully inform them of what to expect once Red Hill is closed.

“When they’re done, it’s going to be great,” Fawcett said. “But it’s

going to challenge the surface streets for the nine months it’s going to

take to get to that point.”