Railroad Says No to a Solution to Canyon Tie-Up

The nation’s second-largest railroad has rejected a proposal to build an elevated expressway over its tracks near the busy Riverside Freeway, complicating efforts to develop a new transportation corridor between the Inland Empire and Orange County.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway officials said Tuesday the construction of a highway over their right of way through Santa Ana Canyon could disrupt operations on the company’s main line that serves the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The company also said a new highway would hamper future additions of track on a rail corridor vital to the nation’s economy.

“Unfortunately, after extensive research and study, we feel it is not in the best interest of Burlington Northern Santa Fe to make its property available for this project,” said James J. O’Neil, an assistant vice president for the railroad.

Burlington Northern sent a letter last week rejecting the use of its right of way to transportation officials in Riverside and Orange counties who are exploring a number of tunnel and highway options to relieve increasing congestion on the Riverside Freeway.

Those options include a highway tunnel through the Cleveland National Forest, widening the Riverside Freeway, reconstructing narrow Ortega Highway in south Orange County, and building a four or six lane route paralleling the Riverside Freeway.

The latter alternative -- called the Prado Expressway -- was proposed by the Irvine Co., Orange County’s largest land developer. The company opposes a tunnel through the Cleveland National Forest and has studied the idea of an elevated road on the Burlington Northern right of way.

H. Tony Rahimian, a civil engineer who oversees the study of alternatives for the two counties, said the railroad’s decision would complicate the development of a new highway through Santa Ana Canyon, if that route is eventually selected by policy makers.

Instead of planning a highway following the railroad’s route, Rahimian said, Riverside and Orange County would evaluate a potentially more expensive alternative through Corona that would require condemning private property.

“The low-hanging fruit is no longer available. We are going to have to reach a little higher,” said Rahimian, who anticipated that the railroad might reject the proposal. “There will be ample right of way [elsewhere].”

The potential to condemn commercial and residential property concerned Corona Councilman Jeff Miller, a member of the committee studying ways to reduce congestion on the Riverside Freeway. Because of its potential impact, Corona, Yorba Linda and Anaheim have been skeptical of a new highway being built near the Riverside Freeway.

Miller said the railroad’s decision could set the stage for eliminating any new route through Santa Ana Canyon from the options under consideration.

“I can’t even fathom the number of problems it would create for our city,” Miller said. “I don’t mind double-decking the 91 or using its right of way, but major condemnations in our residential and business communities is not something I or the City Council would support.”