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Red Hill Avenue Overcrossing Opens To Traffic Wednesday Evening

21 November 2000

Red Hill Avenue Overcrossing Opens To Traffic Wednesday Evening

    COSTA MESA, Calif.--Nov. 21, 2000--The newly constructed Red Hill Avenue overcrossing is scheduled to reopen Wednesday evening, Nov. 22, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
    An important link between the cities of Irvine and Costa Mesa over the I-405 freeway, it has been closed since March 19, 2000 to accommodate the construction of new direct carpool lane connectors between the I-405 and SR-55 freeways.
    The $5.5 million joint project of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) raised the overcrossing 18 feet and added a new bike lane in each direction. Prior to its closing it served more than 25,000 vehicles a day. A community event -- entitled the "Red Hill Roll Out" -- is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 21, to thank area businesses and residents for their patience during the closure.
    The commemorative ceremony featured Orange County Supervisor Jim Silva, an OCTA Board Member; Saeid Asgari, senior transportation engineer of Caltrans; Mayor Christina Shea of Irvine, Mayor pro Tem, Libby Cowan from Costa Mesa, and local bicycle clubs to help inaugurate the reconstructed bridge and new bike lanes.
    "This overcrossing reconstruction is a key component of our effort to improve traffic flow around the South Coast Metro area and John Wayne Airport," said OCTA Board Member Jim Silva. "The I-405/I-55 Interchange is one of the 10 busiest in the nation. The addition of new direct carpool lanes will provide much needed traffic relief and safety."
    "I would like to send a special thanks to the local Red Hill area businesses and commuters for their patience with us during the reconstruction of the overpass," said Asgari. "With their cooperation, we were able to complete construction and publicly open this bridge to traffic one month ahead of schedule."
    Other I-405/SR-55 project improvements include a reconfigured southbound SR-55 and northbound I-405 connector, a northbound I-405 Bristol Street off-ramp, a new northbound on-ramp at Anton Boulevard, and a new northbound off-ramp at Avenue of the Arts. These improvements will help traffic flow in the busy South Coast Metro area.
    Construction of the $150-million project began in October 1999 and is on schedule for completion in 2004. Measure M is primarily funding the overall project, with additional funds from the federal government and the City of Costa Mesa.
    Individuals interested in additional information regarding the I-405/SR-55 Improvement Project or the "Roll Out Red Hill" event can call the Transportation Helpline at 800/724-0353.

                   Red Hill Overcrossing Fact Sheet

--  The Red Hill Avenue overcrossing is a key component of the overall
    I-405/SR-55 Improvement Project. The overcrossing was
    reconstructed to accommodate connectors being built to link HOV
    lanes on the I-405 and SR-55, creating a seamless carpool
    connection between the freeways. The new overcrossing was elevated
    18 feet and includes two lanes of traffic in each direction, and a
    sidewalk and a new bike lane in each direction.

--  The overcrossing being opened ahead of schedule and on budget.
    Project construction began in March 2000 and took eight months to
    complete. By finishing and publicly opening the bridge on Nov. 22,
    the project is one month ahead of its originally scheduled
    completion date.

--  The $5.5 million overcrossing construction is part of the
    I-405/SR-55 Improvement Project, a $150 million joint project
    between the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and
    California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) that is
    primarily funded through Measure M funds. It also includes some
    funding from the City of Costa Mesa and the federal government.

--  The Red Hill Bridge is 45 feet above the I-405 at its highest
    point, which is equivalent to a five-story building.

--  The bridge is 540 feet long with the center span wide enough to
    accommodate 14 lanes of traffic.

--  The bridge used 6,000 cubic yards of concrete, which is equivalent
    to 600 full concrete trucks, and contains 1.2 million pounds of
    reinforced steel just to build the bridge.

--  The bridge contains six walls, which are 14 inches thick. These
    walls form five cells, which is similar to rooms in a house. They
    are 11 feet by 6 feet with 12 foot ceilings at the deepest point.
    This bridge is built with a box girder design making the inside of
    the bridge hollow.

--  The parabolic shape of the bridge gives it a unique architectural
    look. This design is similar to other bridges in the county.

--  The foundation for the columns of this bridge consists of concrete
    piles that were driven 60 feet deep to accommodate the structural
    foundation that a bridge of this magnitude needs. It was designed
    and built to the latest earthquake standards.