YORBA LINDA

The Imperial Highway widening and improvement project may be just a couple of steps away from breaking ground, city officials said.

The City Council will vote Tuesday on accepting the project’s environmental impact report, which found that the $23-million effort to improve traffic flow on Imperial Highway could cause air quality to suffer from nitrogen oxide emissions during construction.

The city, in an effort to cut down on possible air problems, may require the contractor to agree to a list of conditions, such as limited use of heavy equipment.

If the report is approved, the next step would be going out to bid to find a contractor, said Mayor John Gullixson, a strong supporter of the project. The construction is expected to take about one year to complete.

The work on the four miles of Imperial Highway through Yorba Linda is a part of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s $55-million plan to widen the major thoroughfare for its entire 13-mile stretch from Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim to the Los Angeles County line in La Habra. The OCTA, through its Smart Streets program, has allocated state and federal funds to the six cities involved in the widening project.

Some residents, however, have objections to the environmental impact report and the entire project.

The project was challenged in 1998 by members of the Organization of Unified Concerned Homeowners, a community watchdog group. An initiative to block the widening efforts was put on the November 1998 ballot but failed.

Opponents of widening Imperial Highway have said that the project may ruin the city’s small-town atmosphere.

The council meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 4845 Casa Loma Ave.