Orange County 91 Freeway improvement project to ease congestion, breaks ground
The Orange County Transportation Authority, in partnership with Caltrans, broke ground on the SR-91 Improvement Project on Friday.
The project is to take place in three phases. along a five-mile stretch between SR-57 and SR-55/Lakeview Avenue, with a completion target date of 2030.
"It's more than a roadway, it's a lifeline," Anaheim City Councilmember Carlos Leon said. "This freeway keeps Anaheim, Orange County's largest city, moving."
Improvements include the reconstruction of on-ramps and off-ramps, the addition of a regular eastbound lane for a portion of the project, and interchange improvements to lessen the need for drivers to merge and weave.
Leon, who is also a board member of the Orange County Transportation Authority, said congestion along the 91 has long been a challenge, and that "some might even say that navigating it could count as an extreme sport."
Orange County Supervisor and OCTA Board Chair, Doug Chaffee said the 91 is the backbone of the regional transportation network, linking Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties. "This project will lessen travel congestion and speed up travel times on this busy east/ west corridor," he said.
Julie Sharp
Julie Sharp is a digital producer at CBS Los Angeles. She is a South Bay native and majored in print journalism at Cal State University Long Beach.
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San Francisco Chronicle
25-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
This California city relies on a highway that's sliding into the ocean. Fixing it will cost $2 billion
One of California's most expensive infrastructure projects is inching forward in a tiny city on the north coast, where landslides have long battered the main highway. The road in question is Last Chance Grade, a cliff-hugging stretch of U.S. 101 that links Eureka to Crescent City. Winding three miles through a redwood forest that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, the thoroughfare is beautiful and cursed. Ground tremors and winter storms send rocks tumbling from adjacent slopes, burying large sections of pavement and forcing closures. Parts of the overhang are steadily crumbling into the sea. After years of patch jobs and careful monitoring, Caltrans landed on a solution: A 6,000-foot tunnel that would bypass the landslide area, at a cost of $2.1 billion. If built, it would be the longest tunnel in state history, a bedrock lifeline for a relatively isolated place. Political leaders still aren't sure where they'll find all that money. But they see no other option. 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CBS News
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Brush fire in Chino Hills forces 71 Freeway closure
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CBS News
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Interstate 80 express toll lanes could officially launch in Solano County before year's end
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