Parts of O.C. Toll Roads to Close Over Weekend
Caltrans crews will temporarily close stretches of Orange County’s toll road system this weekend to complete resurfacing work on roadways damaged by the winter rainstorms and lingering complications from the project’s construction.
The repairs, costing $2.3 million, began before Memorial Day on large sections of the Eastern and Foothill toll roads and a smaller section of the San Joaquin toll road.
“The geology of the area and the drainage along the toll road system cause this type of swelling on the pavement,” said Caltrans spokeswoman Pam Gorniak. “The excessive water caused the bumps to become more prominent and created a safety problem for motorists.”
Buckled pavement has been a problem before on the toll road system, which is operated by the Transportation Corridor Agencies.
Caltrans, TCA and the road’s builder have spent nearly $440,000 on studies, surveys and temporary repairs.
Tollway officials have said the bumps stem from the large amount of earth moved during construction.
To cut a path for the road, 67 million cubic yards of soil -- equal to a quarter of that excavated for the Panama Canal -- had to be moved.
The recent resurfacing projects have spanned both directions of the Eastern toll road (241) between Loma Ridge Road and the Riverside Freeway, and on the 261 toll road from Portola Parkway to the 241 interchange.
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