19E - SANTA ANA GRADE SEPARATION PROJECT

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CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION /CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION DETERMINATION FORM Continuation Sheet Ana N/A inued from page 1: existing at -grade crossing is used by several passenger rail lines including Metrolink Orange County and Inland ,ire /Orange County lines and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner line. For Metrolink lines, the existing service schedule ides the following: Orange County (OC) Line: Two trains per hour per direction in both the weekday AM and PM peak hours and 22 trains per day in each direction. peak hours and 20 trains per day in each direction. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner operates with one train per day in the peak hour each way and 13 to 14 trains per day each direction. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) freight rail traffic also uses this crossing with approximately 10 freight trains per day during off -peak hours, resulting in a total of 66 train crossings during a typical weekday. 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. Construction of the underpass bridge (i.e., roadway going under the railroad tracks) includes; retaining walls; two pedestrian bridges (one on each side of the railroad bridge, installation of paving, curbs, gutters, medians, sidewalks, streetlights, landscape and irrigation features, and drainage facilities, and the relocation of utilities. The proposed pedestrian bridges would allow connectivity of the residential neighborhood west of the railroad and potential mixed -use developments east of the railroad bridge with SARTC. The exact bridge type and configuration will be determined during the final design phase of the project. 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 SARTC near 4th Street. This shoofly alignment would be located east of the existing railroad alignment. The project also proposes to construct a four -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, would be required for the construction of the shoofly and detour road. No significant environmental consequences are anticipated with the proposed project. However, please find the attached Environmental Commitments Record (ECR), which lists all the commitments that must be met and documented throughout the project. February 12, 201.1