Countywide : University Drive Link Back to Drawing Board

Plans for a four-lane link between Upper Newport Bay and west Orange County were dealt a setback this week, when the county Board of Supervisors rejected four proposed routes for a University Drive extension.

The board asked for a new study to determine whether the extension should be built at all--and what traffic upsets could be expected if it is not built.

The University Drive extension has long been planned as a relief valve for east-west traffic that might otherwise crowd Pacific Coast Highway or Bristol Street in the Upper Bay area. County officials say it is particularly needed to carry traffic from the UC Irvine area to Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach.

All four routes proposed so far have raised controversy, either because of potential environmental impact on the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve or because they would cut through expensive waterfront estates in Santa Ana Heights.

On Wednesday, county supervisors expressed doubt that any acceptable route for the connection could be found.

“It does not look good for the University Drive connection, but we can’t reach any final conclusion until we have done the necessary studies,” said county Planning Director Robert Fisher. Without the extension, the traffic picture on surrounding arterials “looks pretty bleak,” he added.