Foothill South

Foothill South (SR-241 Extension)

The California Coastal Commission hearing on Foothill South (SR-241) extension project, previously scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 2007, has been postponed.  The Commission's staff report recommended that the project NOT be approved.  Due to the large size of this report and its late release, the Transportation Corridors Agency (TCA) staff have asked for more time to prepare for this hearing.  The new hearing will probably be held in early 2008.  Please check back here later for details about future meetings and developments about this project.

The Auto Club supports the completion of Orange County's toll road system by building this badly needed highway to reduce congestion and air pollution and improve mobility in south Orange County.

Since the early 1970s several Orange County cities, the County of Orange, and the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA) have jointly planned and constructed transportation improvements to benefit mobility in Orange County and complement land use decisions within their communities. The San Joaquin Hills and Foothill/Eastern Toll Roads are products of this balanced planning effort and have proven to be highly beneficial in alleviating traffic congestion.

Traffic congestion on I-5 in south Orange County is severe now and is getting worse every year.  With continuing population growth in Orange County (which is expected to increase by 550,000 over the next 15 years) there is even more demand for new and improved transportation facilities, like Foothill South. Without this project, traffic volumes on I-5 in the San Clemente area are projected to increase by a drastic 60% by 2025 - leaving travelers stuck in gridlock.

Significantly widening I-5 in this area is not a realistic alternative to completing Foothill South. Widening I-5 would cost over $2.4 billion in limited state and federal tax revenues (compared to the $875 million, toll-financed Foothill South) and it would also require the removal and relocation of almost 830 residents and hundreds of business.

In 1985, the F/ETCA began studying alignments for the last segment of the toll road system - Foothill South. Since the mid-1990s, the F/ETCA, in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Marine Corps, and the California Department of Transportation, studied numerous alignment options. They worked together throughout the environmental planning process to determine and recommend the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative for Foothill South. In February 2006, the F/ETCA Board of Directors approved the recommended 16-mile alignment and certified the project's final environmental impact report - essentially their final approval for the project.

Construction of this highway is vital to maintain and improve mobility and safety in south Orange County for current and future residents and businesses.  There is also widespread local support for the completion of Foothill South as evidenced by the support of entities such as the Orange County Business Council, Orange County Transportation Authority, and multiple cities and local chambers of commerce and community groups.

In addition to the above, F/ETCA, in an unprecedented collaborative effort with all the federal and state resource and environmental agencies and stakeholders, has been studying this project for more than 10 years.  All available options have been carefully evaluated and the recommended "Green Alternative" is the one with the least impact on the neighboring communities and environment. A comprehensive environmental mitigation package has been developed that meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements. In light of the TCA's very good record in successfully mitigating similar impacts for other projects such as the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor (SR-73), we believe that the same success will be repeated for this project.

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