Laguna Canyon Road Project Back on Track

SANTA ANA —  Construction is scheduled to begin next year on a major widening and realignment of Laguna Canyon Road that was postponed for three years because of Orange County’s bankruptcy, officials said Monday.

The $23-million project will transform the winding and dangerous road from two to four lanes, add a wide shoulder for bicycle traffic, and move the road away from the Laguna Lakes. Officials said the changes will make the road safer and improve traffic flow.

“Right now, this is a two-lane road with a passing lane in the middle, and there have been some horrendous accidents,” said Ignacio Ochoa, a county traffic engineer. “This makes for a safer roadway and substantially increases its carrying capacity.”

Many users of the thoroughfare, motorists and cyclists alike, have long pushed for the improvements, calling Laguna Canyon one of the most dangerous roads in the county.

Between 1991 and 1995, there were 644 accidents on the road, resulting in 14 deaths and 268 injuries, according to the California Department of Transportation. More recent accident data was not available Monday.

“It’s a long time in coming,” said Blair Taylor, a Irvine cyclist who rides through the canyon most weekends. “The bikes and the cars are sharing such a small piece of asphalt that I’m surprised we haven’t had more deaths. . . . Everyone needs more breathing room.”

The county originally planned to begin widening the road during the 1994-95 budget year, but those plans were brought to a halt by the county’s plunge into bankruptcy that December. The project’s future remained uncertain even after the county emerged from bankruptcy last June, because the bankruptcy recovery plan took away tens of millions of dollars that had been earmarked for road construction.

The project got a boost last year when Caltrans agreed to cover half the costs. On Monday, the Orange County Transportation Authority agreed to allocate an additional $1 million.

Ochoa said the county now has enough money from those and other sources to process the necessary environmental documents by the end of this year and begin construction of the road by the fall of 1998.

“I’m ecstatic. It has been languishing at the county for some time, and I consider it a safety issue,” said Supervisor Thomas W. Wilson, who represents the area. “This is a benefit not just to Laguna Beach residents, but to all the folks who travel to the beach for summer activities.”

The realignment will move the road away from the Laguna Lakes, which will be restored under the project. “These are Orange County’s only natural lakes, and they will become visible to the public driving on the road” because the newly aligned road will be slightly elevated, Wilson said. “Many people don’t know they are there because the lakes are now hidden by trees.”

The project will cover a nine-mile stretch of Laguna Canyon Road between El Toro Road and Laguna Reservoir.

Ochoa said the widening is important because of the recent opening of several new roads, including the San Joaquin Hills tollway, which crosses Laguna Canyon Road.

While many Laguna Canyon residents support the project, some opponents want the road to remain unchanged.

The road’s winding hills and natural beauty lure cyclists to the area, especially on weekends. The Orange County Bicycle Coalition has been aggressively pushing for the addition of bike lanes.

“I’m very happy. This will help us a lot,” said coalition head Don Harvey.

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Road Work Ahead

Two lanes will be added in 1998

Laguna Lakes will be revitalized