Orange County, Caltrans break ground on 91 Freeway improvement project
The project's goal is to lessen traffic congestion and speed up travel times.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- The 91 Freeway, a major traffic artery in Orange County, is getting a facelift.
On Friday, the Orange County Transportation Authority and Caltrans broke ground on the 91 Freeway Improvement project between the 55 and 57 freeways.
"This freeway keeps Anaheim, Orange County's largest city, moving," said OCTA Director Carlos Leon.
OCTA calls the $779 million project an investment as the number of cars that travel on the 91 is expected to increase over the next 10 years.
"This stretch of freeway is one of the busiest in Southern California, carrying more than 320,000 vehicles each day serving as a critical link between homes in Riverside County and jobs in Orange County," said OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson. "People that live in Orange County and things to do in the Inland Empire and beyond."
OCTA Chairman Doug Chafee said the project will lessen traffic congestion and speed up travel times.
Improvements on the five-mile section of freeway will be paid for using local, state and federal funding. They plan to reduce weaving and merging between on- and off-ramps by constructing separate westbound 91 and southbound 55 traffic lanes.
A new eastbound lane between the 55 and 57 will also be added. The goal is to make the corridor safer and more efficient for commuters.
Though the project will be inconvenient at times, OCTA is asking drivers and nearby residents to be patient.
"Of course, the next few years won't be without challenges. You can't make things better without some impacts," said Leon.
The improvement project is set to be completed by 2030.
