Freeway toll road plan stuck in gridlock

Torus Tammer

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- The planned $1-billion Orange Freeway toll road

project will almost certainly be scrapped.

Last week, the California Department of Transportation announced the

10-year-old toll franchise agreement was in jeopardy and was unlikely to

be extended by today’s construction deadline.

The news was greeted favorably by the Fountain Valley City Council,

which has waged a decade-long battle against the project.

“I truly believe this is a project that is now not going to happen,”

said Councilwoman Laurann Cook, chairwoman of the Orange County

Transportation Authority. “Fountain Valley has been opposed to the

specified location, which is on the Santa Ana River bed. If there was

ever a fuel spill, there could be a contamination of the ground water. We

feel Fountain Valley is not a point of destination.”

Caltrans officials added it was clear the construction company would

not meet today’s deadline on the project and that failure to do so, would

be viewed as a default of the franchise agreement.

American Transportation Development, the company that owns the

franchise, has been trying, although seemingly in vain, to negotiate an

extension of the franchise agreement for the past five months.

The toll road, which was to be along the Santa Ana River linking the

Orange and San Diego freeways, has been opposed by some residents and

environmentalists.

“Had it been a prudent idea, it would have been done many years ago,”

said Fountain Valley Mayor Larry Crandall. “But there were severe

environmental and traffic concerns which would’ve seen the 57 dump out at

the 405 in Fountain Valley.

“This has to be a victory for the people of Fountain Valley.”