Closed Lane Causes Clog on Costa Mesa Freeway
Motorists on the southbound Costa Mesa Freeway encountered severe rush-hour congestion Wednesday after Caltrans closed a lane to accommodate construction in the median.
The number of lanes on the freeway was reduced from four to three between Dyer Road and MacArthur Boulevard, where road crews will be working on a car-pool-lane connection to the San Diego Freeway for the next 18 months.
“Any time there is a change in lane alignments, there is going to be more congestion,” said Rose Melgoza, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation.
The closure forced drivers to merge right, creating a traffic backup at least to the Riverside Freeway, according to some reports.
Melgoza said that Caltrans, which has received complaints from commuters, should have all four southbound lanes opened by 5 a.m. today, providing rush-hour relief.
“We’ve gotten a few calls,” she said. “Some people are upset. Others want some answers. We just want to make sure we don’t repeat what happened.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
