A New, Flower-Strewn Route Into Mickey’s Domain

Commuters using the Santa Ana Freeway will encounter new traffic ramps, tunnels and interchanges over the next nine days as workers put the finishing touches on $1.1 billion in upgrades to one of Orange County’s main arteries. One of the improvements will funnel traffic leaving Disneyland to the Santa Ana Freeway and route incoming freeway traffic through tunnels onto Disney Way.

Since construction began almost five years ago, Caltrans and the Orange County Transportation Authority have paid $2.77 million to the public relations firm of Paine and Associates for community outreach programs and media events, including Tuesday’s unveiling of the freeway improvements.

A key improvement is a flyover ramp that will carry traffic from the northbound Santa Ana Freeway to the westbound Artesia Freeway.

Two tunnels onto Disney Way may take some getting used to, officials said.

Just as the other improvements were made with aesthetics in mind, the tunnels, are brightly lighted and covered with German tile-and-enamel renderings of the California poppy.

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Graphics reporting by BRADY MacDONALD