IRVINE : Council Joins With Newport on Route

Irvine has joined forces with Newport Beach in urging toll road officials to build the proposed extension of Newport Coast Drive as far away from the Turtle Rock neighborhood as possible.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to state its position on Newport Coast Drive to the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Authority. On Monday, the Newport Beach City Council threatened to pull out of the agency if the road is not built.

The Newport Coast Drive extension would run from the San Joaquin Hills toll road to Bonita Canyon Drive in an area south of UC Irvine.

Officials are considering three possible routes for the extension. Two of the routes would run within a few blocks of Turtle Rock and might be connected eventually to roads that run through UC Irvine.

Irvine council members prefer the third route, which would run much closer to MacArthur Boulevard and away from Turtle Rock.

“For both (Irvine and Newport Beach) to be in agreement . . . gives some really strong direction to the county to concentrate their efforts on the third alternative,” Irvine Councilwoman Paula Werner said.

Turtle Rock residents believe that the third route will do the best job of keeping extra traffic out of their neighborhood.

Newport Beach officials want the road extension so that their city’s residents making local trips won’t have to pay a 50-cent toll.