Tollway Along Santa Ana River Called Unlikely

Plans to build a $1 billion private toll road along the Santa Ana River linking the Orange Crush interchange and the San Diego Freeway appear headed for the scrap heap.

On Wednesday, a Caltrans spokesman announced that it is “very unlikely” that the department would extend a 10-year-old toll franchise agreement for the proposed SR-57 Extension project. The agreement, which has passed through the hands of several construction firms and consortiums, would have allowed construction of an 11-mile tollway from Orange to Costa Mesa.

Transportation officials have long called the proposed route the “missing link” in Orange County’s highway network, but growing disenchantment with private toll roads and heavy local opposition from neighborhoods and environmentalists appear to have killed the plan.

The franchise, one of four granted throughout the state by the Legislature in 1989, currently belongs to American Transportation Development--a joint construction venture between Interwest Co. of Arizona and Idaho’s Washington Group International. The group has been attempting to negotiate an extension of the franchise agreement for the last five months, albeit with little success.

ATD President Grant Holland could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but a spokeswoman said the group had yet to hear formally from Caltrans on the matter.

“Obviously this doesn’t sound positive, but we’re still waiting to hear officially,” said spokeswoman Anne Warde.

Warde declined to say what the group’s next step would be if the franchise agreement was not renewed, but said it would consider petitioning again for an extension.

Caltrans spokesman Dennis Trujillo said Wednesday that it was clear the construction group would not meet a Jan. 11 construction deadline on the project, since the proposal has yet to gain environmental approvals. Failure to begin construction by the deadline would be viewed as a default on the existing franchise agreement.

“Basically, their default is likely to lead to a termination of the franchise agreement,” Trujillo said.

Wednesday’s announcement came as no surprise to Orange County transportation officials, who said Caltrans has suffered a serious black eye with the controversy involving the 91 Express Lanes--the only private toll operation currently in California.

The Express Lanes, which operate on a 10-mile stretch of the Riverside Freeway in Orange County, have angered many motorists because Caltrans signed a “noncompete” agreement with the company. Under that agreement, the state is barred from making improvements to the jammed freeway if they are intended only to increase capacity. Insult was added to injury last month when the Express Lanes instituted a toll hike.

“The buzz was going around the last couple weeks that this wasn’t going to happen, and it’s because of concerns about the 91 Express Lanes,” said Laurann Cook, chairwoman of the Orange County Transportation Authority and a Fountain Valley council member.

Although OCTA sent a letter to Caltrans saying the toll road plan should be pursued under specific provisions, Cook said she has long opposed the proposal. She said that building along the Santa Ana River would be an environmental disaster.

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Drying Up?

An 11-mile toll road along the Santa Ana River is unlikely, Caltrans officials said Wednesday.