405 Freeway Widening Progresses


The 1.98B 405 Freeway Widening Project is Progressing with the Closure of the McFadden Avenue Bridge

The 405 freeway widening project has entered a new phase with the announcement that the McFadden Avenue bridge over the 405 Freeway in Huntington Beach and Westminster will close and stay out of service for about a year so it can be rebuilt.  Demolition of the bridge is expected to begin Aug. 18 and continue for multiple nights.  Once rebuilt, it will include two lanes in each direction and a sidewalk and a bike lane in each direction, according to Orange County Transportation Authority spokesman Eric Carpenter. The current configuration has one lane in each direction and a sidewalk on the north side of the bridge. The McFadden Avenue bridge is one of more than 18 bridges slated to either be built, widened or replaced for the 405 widening, which Transportation Authority officials say will help improve travel times on the freeway.  The project encompasses a 16-mile portion between the 73 Freeway in Costa Mesa and the 605 Freeway near Rossmoor.
When the project is completed in 2023, both directions of the 405 in that stretch will have an additional general-purpose lane, along with a new “express” toll lane, officials say. The existing carpool lane in both directions will be converted to an express lane.

This is one of many freeway improvement projects currently being built or in the planning stages as California benefits from funding sources such as Measure M, and SB1.  Converse Consultants has a long and proud history of supporting such projects by providing geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, materials testing, and inspection services.  Converse maintains a network of Caltrans-certified laboratories in Southern California. 
For more information, visit our website: www.converseconsultants.com. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Neglected roads and bridges are costing California drivers billions each year.

Image
According to a new study, driving on bad roads in California costs the state’s drivers $61 billion each year. Founded in 1971, TRIP  is a nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues. TRIP has conducted a study that has calculated the cost to the average motorist in the state’s largest urban areas in the form of additional vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of driving on rough roads. The study also takes into account the cost of lost time and wasted fuel due to congestion, as well as the financial cost of traffic accidents. The report examines the overall condition, use and safety of California’s roads, highways and bridges, and the state’s future mobility needs. And when it comes to bridges, more than 1,500 of California’s bridges (20 feet or longer) are structurally deficient. That means there is “significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components.” M
Read more

Latest Update on Foothill Goldline Extension

Image
Plans for the construction of the Foothill Gold Line light rail extension from Glendora to Montclair have been revised to compensate for anticipated unfavorable shifts in market conditions, the Foothill Goldline Authority announced this week.   Notably, the Authority detailed a proposed plan this week to deliver nearly 70% of the Foothill Gold Line light rail extension from Glendora to Montclair at least two years ahead of schedule and avoid tens of millions of dollars annually in market escalation and risk money proposed by the four design-build teams competing for the Glendora to Montclair Alignment contract; while increasing the budget for the 12.3-mile, six station light rail project by $570 million to a total project budget of $2.1 billion. The proposed plan is subject to environmental approval. The sudden change of plans came after the receipt of bids by the four teams competing for the design-build contract. All four bids reflected a significant unfavorable shift in marke
Read more
Image
A new email subscription program through the State of California will keep subscribers informed about vapor intrusion related to contaminated sites.  The new program will be available through the California State Water Board’s, Division of Water Quality, Site Cleanup Program.  Vapor intrusion is the migration of chemical vapors from below ground into buildings and is a frequent problem at contaminated sites. The Site Cleanup Program intends to disseminate information through this vapor intrusion email subscription, including a supplemental vapor intrusion guidance document currently being developed by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control and Water Boards.  This guidance document will likely be released to public in early winter of 2018.  More information  on how to subscribe is available at the following link:  https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/swrcb_subscribe.html Converse Consultants provides comprehensive environmental consulti
Read more