FOOTHILL-SOUTH UPDATE PRESENTED
A year after route chosen, TCA updates schedule and continues to pursue permits, advance preliminary design
IRVINE, Calif. (February 28, 2007) – One year after the Foothill/Eastern Board of Directors approved the alignment for the completion of the 241 Toll Road the schedule has been revised to reflect the complicated nature of the project’s regulatory approval process.
On February 23, 2006, the Board of Directors of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Agency approved an alignment for the final segment of the Foothill (241) Toll Road and certified the project’s final Environmental Impact Report. Since then, the TCA has begun preliminary design work, developed specific mitigation plans, studied project financing options and begun the process of obtaining the necessary state and federal permits, agreements and approvals. Since the permitting process is turning out to be very complicated and will take longer than expected, TCA has updated the project schedule to reflect a financing date no sooner than 2010.
“There is a huge need for the traffic relief that Foothill-South will provide,” said Jim Thor, chairman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency. “It’s a long process but we want to follow all of the requirements and make sure that the project balances traffic relief with environmental concerns.”
Preliminary design work has been underway since April 2006. About 300 engineers, surveyors, geologists and other personnel are involved in this project. In the field, surveyors have finished obtaining topographical data and 124 geotechnical borings have been performed to gather subsurface data and soil samples along the route. Hydrology analyses and a runoff management plan are being developed to treat runoff along our route as well as along a portion of Interstate 5 that is currently untreated. Structural engineers continue to study the 20 roadway bridge and wildlife crossings.
The preliminary design work will allow the contractor to propose a fixed price change order, which is expected by the end of this year and will help solidify the final cost estimate for the project. Shifting the schedule out will result in a higher cost for the project due to escalation in the cost of building supplies and labor. The most recent cost estimate for the project is $875 million (in 2008 dollars).
TCA staff members are working with staff at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Highway Administration and the Regional Water Quality Board to make sure Foothill-South meets all of the agencies’ environmental requirements.
“The TCA is working toward beginning construction as soon as possible,” said CEO Bill Woollett. “But building a large infrastructure project, no matter how popular and needed, is a complex and controversial undertaking these days. Foothill-South is a sizeable project, dependent on approvals from many agencies, each with its own very specific mandates.”
“The revised schedule reflects our latest best estimate of the time it will take us to get through the numerous regulatory processes and get to a financing,” said David Lowe, TCA Acting Chief Engineer. “Every element of our proposed work must be reviewed in great detail by the agencies responsible for protecting their areas of jurisdiction, and rightfully so. We want to get it done right.”
“Although the permitting process is long and complex, there is no question that there needs to be an alternative route to interstate 5. Completing the 241 Toll Road is the answer. It is critical for the quality of life for Orange County residents and commuters,” said Chairman Jim Thor.
“Even though I’m disappointed the schedule has slipped, we’re fully committed to building this road because it contributes to the quality of life for those who live, work and commute in Orange County,” said board member Jerry Amante. “Not building the road would have a more significant negative environmental impact than building the road.”
ABOUT FOOTHILL-SOUTH
Foothill-South is the final segment of Orange County’s planned 67-mile toll road system. The project has been the subject of regional planning efforts for decades, and has been on the County’s Master Plan of Arterial Highways since 1981. Since 1996, TCA has worked with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and Caltrans as part of a comprehensive federal environmental review process of project alternatives to relieve traffic in South Orange County. This collaborative process includes the Marine Corps-Camp Pendleton as a cooperating agency. More information: www.foothill-south.com.
ABOUT TCA
The Toll Roads are operated by the Foothill/Eastern and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), joint powers authorities formed in 1986 to plan, finance, construct, and operate Orange County's 67-mile public toll road system. Fifty-one miles of the system are complete, including the San Joaquin Hills (73) Toll Road from Newport Beach to San Juan Capistrano; and the Foothill (241) and Eastern (241, 261, and 133) Toll Roads from the 91 Freeway to south Orange County. The Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA) manages the 241, 261, and 133 Toll Roads. F/ETCA Member Agencies consist of the cities of Anaheim, Dana Point, Irvine, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Orange, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin, Yorba Linda, County of Orange 3rd, 4th and 5th Districts. Officials each member agency are appointed to serve on the agency's Board of Directors. More information: www.thetollroads.com
