SR-57 Northbound Widening Project – Orangethorpe Avenue to Lambert Road

This project was completed in 2014.

The Orange Freeway (SR-57) is an integral part of Southern California’s freeway network. Drivers experienced substantial traffic congestion during peak afternoon hours. In an effort to improve traffic flow, OCTA, in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation, provided an additional northbound (NB) lane on SR-57 and widened all existing lanes and the median shoulder to standard widths from Orangethorpe Avenue to Lambert Road in the approximately 5 mile project area.

This $106.4 million project is part of the OC Go program. OC Go (also known as Measure M), is a 30-year half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Orange County through 2041. After experiencing the success and progress of M1, nearly 70% of Orange County voters renewed the half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements to launch OC Go in 2011. In addition to OC Go funding, this project received state funding.

Project Benefits

• Added an additional 4.9 mile general purpose lane along with merging lanes and reconfiguration of certain on-ramps and off-ramps.
• Converted lanes from buffer-separated HOV lanes to continuous access HOV lanes
• Standardized lane and shoulder widths
• Relocated some existing sound walls and constructed new sound walls"