$300 Million

Lurking at the OCTA Board meeting yesterday, I took in an upbeat presentation on the progress of widening the 22 Freeway.  It's probably OK for the OCTA to do some crowing about the execution of this Project (the design however leaves a great deal to be desired as we've written about before).  It's on schedule and should complete on time, and while it did go somewhat overbudget, the increase was for scope changes that were apparently unanticipated (new EIRs) and an added bridge widening at Magnolia St.  I've always been impressed with the OCTA's Rick Grebner and his handling of this Project -- he deserves an attaboy for the unheard of -- bringing in a government project on time and essentially on budget.  So much for Phase I.

On to the $300 MILLION Phase II.  For TWO THIRDS of the $544 million cost that was the first Phase of the Project -- it's major feature being an end-to-end HOV lane -- we'll now connect those lanes to their counterparts at the 405 and 605 freeways.  Here are the specifics from the OCTA website:

Project Elements:
The 2.5 mile project runs through the communities of Garden Grove, Westminster, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Los Alamitos and Leisure World.

Extension of carpool lanes from Valley View Street to I-405 and I-605 freeways.

Elevated westbound SR-22 to northbound I-405 HOV connector.

Elevated HOV connector from the northbound I-405 to the northbound I-605 and the reverse direction.

Widening of the Valley View Street and Seal Beach Boulevard Bridges.

Continuation of the landscaping and hardscape elements on the SR-22.

$300 MILLION for carpool lane connectors, a little street widening, one bridge and a lot of bushes.  All for carpoolers -- soccer moms, cub scout troops and church groups.  This is an unconscionable amount of money for a social experiment gone bad.  And, of course, consider the next Phases and the probable costs for the carpool lane connectors that STILL must be built at the Crush and the other end of the 22 at the 55.

$300 MILLION for the very few, the very privileged and singled out for doing what government thinks (and cannot prove) is best, and nothing for the majority rest of us.

Comments

[Mark]

I imagine if this was an added lane to the 55, 73, or 405 fwy this would be a "justified expense." North county is just as much a part of OC as any other.
The fact is the 22 SUCKS just as bad as any other freeway during rush-hour. You build up to meet future demand, not to put a band-aid on current problems.
Oh and carpool lanes not being used so they shouldn't be there? Thats like saying you don't use libraries so they shouldn't be there. There's a public good that soumetimes outweighs a definate economic + or -.

[calwatch]

Carpool lanes do work, though. Sometimes too well, as anyone who's been stuck in traffic at the carpool connectors at the Orange Crush knows. Ultimately, they should be phased towards High Occupancy Toll lanes like the 91 Express Lanes so that the lanes can pay for themselves.

[MontyRockIV]

Marx presents great argument against the HOV lame extention: "There's a public good that soumetimes (sic) outweighs a definate (sic) economic + or -"

[MontyRockIV]

Correction- I meant "Mark", not "Marx". Silly me.

[MontyRockIV]

Correction II- I meant "lane", not "lame". Oops.

[jjk]

From the looks of things, that 22 fwy job is probably 6 months behind schedule. It didn't
"open" on Dec 1, in fact, it is worse than it's ever been. As of today, the W/B section
between the 55 & 5 is necked down to two lanes, the E/B section in the orange crush is necked down to two lanes, the connector to the S/B 5 is dangerous due to the need to cross over on coming traffic from an onramp. The whole W/B area past Magnolia is still under major construction. NO PLACE along the entire freeway is there more than 3 operating lanes of traffic.
And now, Mr Rick Grebner claims that it's all the fault of the contractor & all the problems are a surprise to him. Perhaps Grebner should have actually driven the thing like the rest of us poor souls for the last 2+ years. He might have noticed the lack of progress and endless do-overs that we have witnessed every day of the week.
BTW, the concrete work on the new overpasses
seems extremely rough and shoddy. I wouldn't be surprised if they have to tear it all out
and do it again.