Freeway could hit Huntington

Dave Brooks

The Orange County Transportation Authority is considering a plan to

extend the Orange Freeway from Anaheim to Pacific Coast Highway. The

extended freeway would run through Huntington Beach along the Santa

Ana River and dead-end into the coast near Brookhurst Street.

The new highway, officials say, is needed to alleviate congestion

in central Orange County, but residents living along the proposed

route oppose the construction.

“Imagine the noise and disruption this will bring to our

neighborhood,” said Diane Founders, who owns a home near the corner

of Hamilton Avenue and Brookhurst Street where the proposed freeway

would be built. “Just think of what it would do to my property value?

No one wants to live next to a sprawling freeway.”

The freeway extension isn’t a done deal, but has been identified

as the lead alternative in the transportation authority’s central

corridor study. The transportation authority will present the

proposal tonight at a 5 p.m. town hall meeting at the Costa Mesa

Neighborhood Center, at 1845 Park Ave. Another meeting is scheduled

for this Tuesday at the Monroe Elementary School at 16225 Newhope St.

in Fountain Valley.

The Huntington Beach City Council is against the project, said

councilwoman Cathy Green, who serves as a liaison to the

transportation authority.

The freeway extension would draw Huntington Beach residents away

from local businesses for bigger retail venues like South Coast

Plaza, off the proposed San Diego Freeway interchange, as well as

Fashion Island, which would be located just a few miles south of

where the Orange Freeway would connect with Pacific Coast Highway.

“There would also be environmental impacts to the Santa Ana River,

which I’m concerned about,” Green said. “The city of Huntington Beach

would not draw that much benefit from this project.”

The Costa Mesa Freeway is the primary north-south route in the

area, but with 275,000 vehicles a day using it, the artery is pushed

to near full capacity.

“As a result, we’re seeing a lot of traffic diverted to Beach

Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard, and that is causing a negative impact

on local neighborhoods,” said transportation authority official Alice

Rogan.

Expanding the Orange Freeway is just one of the many alternatives

the transportation authority is considering for alleviating central

county traffic.

To improve efficiency, the transportation authority is considering

improvements to the bus system, and a possible carpool lane on the

Golden State Freeway. The transportation authority is also

considering installation of a light rail transit system from John

Wayne Airport to Anaheim and carpool lane along the Costa Mesa

Freeway.

For more information, visit https://www.octa.net.