Offramp project slows freeway project

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- City and transportation officials met with Home Ranch

representatives this week to assess the costs of a sudden halt in freeway

improvements related to a new Susan Street offramp.

Representatives from the city, California Department of Transportation

and C.J. Segerstrom & Sons called an emergency meeting Tuesday to figure

out who would pay for the building delay of the Fairview Road onramp to

the north San Diego Freeway, said Peter Naghavi, the Costa Mesa manager

of transportation services.

A Susan Street offramp, designed to give direct access to the Home

Ranch site just north of the San Diego Freeway, would require an

extension of the Fairview Road onramp, Naghavi said. Existing designs for

the Fairview Road onramp project -- one of many improvements in the works

to alleviate congestion -- would conflict with plans for a Susan Street

offramp. The onramp would be partially demolished if Susan Street were

approved, Naghavi said.

To avoid expensive backtracking, officials stopped construction while

waiting for final approval from the Federal Highway Administration to

change the current design to accommodate a Susan Street offramp. It was

granted last week, Naghavi said.

“This was a critical path. We were losing time,” Naghavi said. “The

more time; the more construction; the more costs to reverse.”

C.J. Segerstrom & Sons agreed to front another $500,000 for the

integral, yet unofficial part of the Home Ranch project, Segerstrom

spokesman Paul Freeman said. The Segerstroms already gave the city $1.5

million for construction costs and will ask the council Monday to accept

the additional $500,000 to make up for losses during the delay.

Although transportation authorities have not endorsed any formal

designs for the proposed Susan Street offramp, Freeman said the changes

in the Fairview Road onramp are a solid first step. He is optimistic the

Susan Street offramp concept will become reality.

“The fact that we are putting up another $500,000 -- for a total of $2

million -- should be taken as a measure of our confidence [that it will

be approved,]” Freeman said. “We would not spend $2 million for the

privilege of having the offramp 3 feet higher.”

While the new offramp was not officially part of the developer’s

application to the city, it was touted as a community benefit, as it is

designed to move traffic off Fairview Road and Harbor Boulevard.

Naghavi said the city has taken a proactive role in the approval of

the Susan Street offramp because it would solve existing traffic woes

without costing the taxpayers a dime.

Susan Street designs must undergo environmental review before they are

forwarded to transportation authorities for approval, Naghavi said.

Environmental consultants are being sought.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .