IRVINE : Businesses Endorse Proposed Toll Road
The Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the proposed San Joaquin Hills tollway as a necessary link in the county’s highway system.
Growing gridlock is keeping qualified workers out of Orange County and hurting local businesses, Irvine Chamber of Commerce President Stan Wolcott said in a statement. Since the corridor has been on the books for years and many businesses moved into the area assuming it would be built, construction of the roadway should commence as soon as possible, he said.
The toll road , which would connect San Juan Capistrano with Newport Beach and give commuters an alternative to the San Diego and Santa Ana freeways, is currently mired in controversy over whether the road would destroy sensitive wildlife habitats and fuel growth and air pollution.
Supporters, however, contend that south Orange County’s population will grow whether or not the road is constructed. Without the toll road, traffic will just get worse, proponents say.
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