19E - SANTA ANA GRADE SEPARATION PROJECT

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Preliminary Environment PROJECT DESCRIPTION The City of Santa Ana, in coordination with the California Department of Transportation (Department), is proposing to grade separate the existing Santa Ana Boulevard /Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Metrolink at -grade railroad crossing in the City of Santa Ana, Orange County, California (see Figures 1 and 2). Currently, 66 trains cross Santa Ana Boulevard at this location on weekdays. The purpose of the proposed project is to eliminate the at -grade crossing of Santa Ana Boulevard and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Metrolink tracks by creating a grade separation, including depressing the profile of Santa Ana Boulevard under the adjacent Metrolink tracks to enhance traffic operations, improve pedestrian and bicycle user safety, improve emergency response times, and reduce existing traffic congestion along Santa Ana Boulevard. "The proposed project improvements extend along Santa Ana Boulevard from approximately Santiago Street at the west end to the west side of the Interstate 5 (1 -5) southbound off -ramp intersection with Santa Ana Boulevard. "As part of the grade separation the proposed project includes: minor improvements to the Santa Ana Boulevard /Santiago Street intersection, terminating Logan Street north of Santa Ana Boulevard by constructing a cul -de -sac, and improvements to Fuller Street, both north and south of Santa Ana Boulevard (see Figure 3). The project proposes to relocate Santa Ana Boulevard approximately 30 feet south of its existing alignment, to construct a utility corridor on the north side of the roadway, and to maintain the existing lane configuration of three (3) lanes in each direction for the entire length of the project. The proposed project will include the construction of an underpass bridge (i.e., roadway going under the railroad tracks) and retaining walls, installation of paving, curbs, gutters, medians, sidewalks, streetlights, landscape and irrigation features, drainage facilities, and the relocation of utilities. During construction the project proposes to construct a temporary two track shoofly railroad alignment for the purpose of constructing the underpass structure while maintaining railroad service, which is to be constructed beginning just south of the existing Metrolink crossing of 1 -5 and terminating south of the Santa Ana Transportation Center near 4t" Street. This shoofly alignment would be located east of the existing railroad alignment. The project also proposes to construct a two -lane detour road south of Santa Ana Boulevard, which would be used by traffic during the construction of the underpass bridge and its approaches. The project also proposes to use Fruit Street as a detour route during the final phase of construction. New right -of -way, including both permanent acquisition and temporary easements, will be needed for the construction of the shoofly and detour road. Construction staging areas for the proposed project would potentially be located on the following properties: APNs 398 - 093 -13, 398 - 092 -12, and 398 - 207 -01. The disposal site for the proposed project, if needed, will be selected by the contractor. Any environmental clearances related to the disposal site will be obtained by the contractor prior to construction. The proposed project is included in the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and 2011 cost - constrained Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) (federal approval date of December 14, 2010) as project ID ORA082610. The project as proposed is consistent with the 2011 FTIP description. 1 19E -72