Residents reassured about future Caltrans work

Susan McCormack

COSTA MESA -- Participants were armed with questions when they arrived at

a Wednesday night meeting on the 405/55 Improvement Project, but most

said they left feeling reassured about the construction’s expected

effects on traffic.

The Orange County Transportation Authority and Caltrans, who are working

together on the project, held the meeting to answer those questions and

ease concerns about the project, which began its Costa Mesa phase last

week. When the construction is finished in 2004, carpool lanes on the San

Diego and Costa Mesa freeways will be linked, eliminating the need for

motorists to weave across lanes when switching freeways.

As part of the work, the Red Hill Avenue overpass at the San Diego

Freeway will be closed for nine months beginning in March. The bridge

will be raised 16 feet to accommodate the new carpool lane connector.

That has residents and business people concerned.

Jim Bradford, who for 19 years has lived at his Sturgeon Drive home just

two blocks from the San Diego Freeway, asked how he could protect his

home from increased noise. Bradford said he is concerned that an improved

carpool lane and extra ramps will entice more motorists to use the

freeway and bring up noise levels.

“Any time there’s Santa Ana winds, it already sounds like you’re on the

center divider,” explained Bradford, who added that from the second story

of his home, he could see the cars on the freeway at eye level.

Transportation authority engineer Rick Grebner said Caltrans is working

on finding out which parts of Costa Mesa will need noise abatement.

“There are pretty strict requirements as to where sound mitigation is

justified,” he said.

Grebner suggested that concerned residents write the transportation

authority or Caltrans to let the agencies know if they believe they will

require noise abatement.

Mahmoud Ghafouri, a traffic coordinator with Caltrans, said one of the

first things planners do is conduct studies on noise before going ahead

with a project. Then they can include features like sound walls in their

freeway plans to protect nearby businesses and residents.

Ed Fawcett, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said rerouted traffic

may affect business around Red Hill, but he hopes two extra signals being

placed in the area will help.

For 29-year resident Albert Mooiweer, the main worry was the project

isn’t tackling what he perceives to be the most crowded area on the San

Diego Freeway: the “bottleneck” where the freeway narrows between Bristol

Street and Harbor Boulevard.

“I can’t see how this [construction] will help with the flow,” Mooiweer

said.

Diane Pritchett, executive director of South Coast Metro Alliance, said

while there probably will be some “hiccups” during the construction

process, business owners shouldn’t worry.

“I think it’s really just making sure that we understand what’s being

planned,” Pritchett said. “There may be a few unhappy people, but it will

be because they don’t know what’s going on.”

Specifics of the project include an onramp to be built at Anton Boulevard

and an offramp at Avenue of the Arts at Anton.

Also, construction will begin this month on widening MacArthur Boulevard

by one lane in each direction. Officials expect this work to be completed

by midsummer.

Updated information on the project may be obtained by calling (800)

724-0353 or logging on to o7 www.octa.net/405-55map.aspf7 .