Harbor Boulevard onramp closes Monday The northbound...

Harbor Boulevard onramp closes Monday

The northbound Harbor Boulevard onramp to the northbound San Diego

Freeway will close on Monday for three weeks so that Caltrans can

realign it.

The California Department of Transportation suggests that

motorists use the Hyland Avenue onramp to the north San Diego Freeway

as a detour.

The work is part of a larger project with the Orange County

Transportation Authority to improve the San Diego and Corona del Mar

freeways between Bear Street and Hyland in Costa Mesa.

The construction, slated to finish in mid-2004, will, among other

things, improve on- and offramps at Harbor and Fairview Road and add

a new onramp from Hyland to the north San Diego Freeway.

Donate batteries at

two Costa Mesa sites

The Automobile Club of Southern California is asking motorists to

donate car, truck and boat lead-acid batteries to a safe collection

location from today to April 26, in connection with Earth Day.

The goal of the Auto Club’s “Great Battery Roundup” is to collect

6,000 batteries throughout Southern California, to protect the

environment and human health and safety.

Newport-Mesa residents can take their batteries to: A & B Towing

at 2956 Randolph St., Costa Mesa, (714) 540-0204; or Jim’s Towing at

1785 Monrovia Ave., Costa Mesa, (714) 850-0869.

John Wayne Airport makes the grades

Orange County’s only commercial airport received high praise from

industry magazines that recognized the airport’s economic strength in

financially difficult times.

Moody’s gave its highest rating -- Aa3 -- to the $51-million

Series 2003 Airport Revenue Bond issued for the area transportation

hub. It was the highest rating Moody’s assigned to any airport, John

Wayne officials said.

Standard and Poor’s gave its only A+ rating to John Wayne,

surpassing its A rating from last year.

Both rating agencies said they issued their analysis based on

strong debt service coverage and growth given the taxing time in the

travel business.

The strength at John Wayne is unprecedented considering the hit

taken after Sept. 11, 2001, officials said.

“The [ratings] are representative of the financial stability,

strong operations and outstanding service that John Wayne Airport

Provides for Orange County,” airport director Alan Murphy said in a

press release. “Our rating reflects our commitment to efficient and

cost effective services to our passengers and tenants.”