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 .
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