Current Project Phase

The project is in the Final Design phase, which involves surveying and collecting data on items such as:

• Existing road and bridge conditions;
• Traffic volumes;
• The ratio of cars to trucks and buses;
• Crash statistics;
• Terrain and soil properties;
• Drainage capabilities;
• Utilities that will be affected; and
• Possible future development in the area.

Experts including transportation planners, engineers, environmentalists, landscape architects, geologists and others will use the data to identify trends to determine how best to build the project for improved travel conditions and minimal environmental effects.

Environmental Review Phase

The environmental review phase was completed in April 2015. Caltrans was the lead agency and was responsible for approving a proposed preferred alternative; OCTA was the sponsoring agency. The environmental review process is mandated by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In general, the purpose of the environmental review process is to identify the project’s potential environmental impacts, and to develop measures to avoid, minimize and/or mitigate these impacts.

Caltrans and OCTA will add one HOV lane in each direction on a 2.9-mile stretch of Interstate 5 from State Route 55 to State Route 57 and remove the southbound off-ramp and northbound on-ramp HOV structure at Main Street, referred to as the "Main Street HOV drop structure."

The notice of availability of the Negative Declaration/Finding of No Significant Impact for this project is available online at www.dot.ca.gov/dist12/DEA/0C890/index.htm.

CEQA and NEPA Resources

For more information on CEQA and NEPA, please visit the following websites:

1. https://ceq.doe.gov/
2. http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/more/faq.html
3. http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/guidelines/
4. http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/

Anticipated Project Schedule

Community Outreach

As the project moves through the final design phase and toward the construction phase, we will continue to keep residents, businesses and community leaders informed. We are actively meeting with key groups, homeowners associations and businesses in the area. Please contact us to schedule a presentation or for additional project information.

The following detours and the demolition of the I-5 Main Street HOV ramp structure will begin during the first stage of construction.