Officials, Caltrans Prepare Remedies for Traffic Pains

Traffic congestion, those two awful words, should be mentioned only in a whisper during the 12 days of the Orange County Fair.

At least that’s the overall feeling of city and fair officials, who are hoping that careful planning will ease traffic headaches, a hallmark of recent fairs. The fair begins Wednesday and ends July 12 at midnight.

Fair coordinators are again working with Caltrans, which will post directional signs on the San Diego Freeway during fair days to encourage drivers to take other routes besides the Costa Mesa Freeway.

Drivers are being urged to take the Harbor Boulevard exit if they are on the San Diego Freeway or the Fairview Road exit if they are on the Corona del Mar Freeway.

Extending the Freeway

The Orange County Fairgrounds is bounded by Fairview Road on the west, Arlington Drive on the north, Newport Boulevard on the southeast and Fair Drive on the south.

The state Department of Transportation has been extending the Costa Mesa Freeway from Mesa Drive to 19th Street, with the area between Mesa Drive and Wilson Street under construction. But Caltrans spokesman Al Miranda said the fair had been anticipated and construction will be halted until the end of July.

There will be no lane closures or construction activity on Newport Boulevard for the whole month because of the fair, Miranda said. Caltrans will also be reporting clogged access and exits as well as recommending less-crowded approach routes over Cal Radio, 530-AM.

“The fair hasn’t been a pain,” Miranda said. “Believe it or not, it’s similar to any major event like a baseball game out of Anaheim Stadium. Sure, there’s going to be congestion, but that’s not something we haven’t faced before.”

3 Construction Projects

Caltrans will have an information booth at the fair to spotlight three construction projects in the county: the extra lane on the San Diego Freeway, the widening of the Santa Ana Freeway from six lanes to 12, and the extension of the Costa Mesa Freeway.

Costa Mesa City Manager Allan L. Roeder said drivers should try to use the Harbor Boulevard exit from the San Diego Freeway and avoid Fairview Road because a street bridge is still under construction. Although some portions of Harbor Boulevard have been torn up for sewer-pipe replacement, the impact will be minor, Roeder said, because the project is south of the fairgrounds.

“With the exception of weekends, we’re in pretty good shape. But we always have traffic jams on the weekends. That’s never going to change, even with the most optimism,” Roeder said.

For those who want to avoid traffic congestion, Orange County Transit District buses will be offering free rides to the fair on their regular routes near the fairgrounds.

As far as noise is concerned, the headline concerts will be performing mostly at Arlington Theater, and the Pacific Amphitheatre has not scheduled any shows during the same days as the fair.

“People tolerate good-will noise like children, lawn mowers and dogs. The fair is one of those good-will noises. Besides, it will last only 12 days,” said Sam Lane, who measures noise for Concerned Citizens of Costa Mesa Inc., which has sued the 18,500-seat Pacific Amphitheatre, alleging excessive noise.

Other Anticipated Problems

Parking problems are also anticipated in the neighborhoods surrounding the fairgrounds. In the past, some fair-goers, hoping to avoid the $2 parking fee, have cruised into residential areas, causing a shortage of spots for homeowners.

Police officials say they will have no mercy for drivers without parking permits for the area. Signs have already been posted in the neighborhoods warning potential violators to stay away.

Parking should never have to be a problem at the fair, Roeder said. There are 12 designated parking lots on the fairgrounds as well as overflow parking spaces at Orange Coast College on Fairview Road.

But for those who do park at the college, authorities caution that crosswalks should be used. Police officers will be citing jaywalkers for blocking traffic.

“It would be a very expensive shortcut,” Roeder said.

Lights Will Be Timed

Traffic lights will also be timed to allow more green for the heavy flow of cars, said Police Sgt. Dave Walker, who is in charge of special events.

“The streets can hold only so many people. We just hope people stay courteous and don’t get upset,” Walker said.

Extra police officers will be assigned to traffic detail. Jaywalkers are not the only ones who should be worried about citations, Walker added. Drivers will be cited for blocking intersections.

“Drivers have to face up to the fact that many are not going anywhere for a while once it gets crowded,” Walker said.