alleymon Ortega Highway Road Construction begins sometime in February 2007. This is the big one, the 3 year project to widen the shoulders between the SJ Hot Springs bridge and the OC/RC line.
It’s almost impossible to find any reference to this project on the internet, I can only assume that CDOT got so many complaints from the people who use this highway every day to commute to and from work that they hid the information to make it look like they’d given up on the project. That’s what I thought for the last 6 months.
Now anyone who has seen the Electronic Message board on I-5 near SR 74 and has tuned in to AM 1620 as posted knows that this project will severely impact commuters. This project will cause “30 minute delays” I’ll believe it when I see it. I would say At Least 30 minute delays.
So I worked this out in my head, difficult as that is, and figured that it takes me 90 minutes to drive from home in Lake Elsinore to work in Aliso Viejo (A 50% increase for the 37 miles since we moved to Elsinore 6 years ago) and I should add on 30+ minutes making a total of 120+ minutes (or 2 hours).
Now, I remember when SR74 was closed due to road washout from the rain of 2005 (or was it 2004 – The years blend somewhat now). I remember taking I-5 north to the 55 to the 91 to I-15 to Lake Elsinore and having that route take 3+ hours (Each way and 65 miles). I thought, “Well this sucks”. So I tried a different route; I-5 south to Oceanside and SR76 to I-15 north to Lake Elsinore. That route took 1hr 45 minutes (much better, but with the thousands of new homes along SR76 that time has changed to 2hrs + and 78 miles)
I am now forced to try and find a new job in the Lake Elsinore area, but wait… There are no High Tech jobs here. Oh, and more good news… Thousands of people who travel Ortega Highway every day will also be on the look out for a job out here… So now even if a rare high tech job opens up the competition will be fierce.
And what about all those home buyers from the OC. They account for about half of the real estate market in Lake Elsinore. I seriously doubt they will continue to buy out here for the next 3 years. This will drive the home prices down as there are still thousands of homes being built just south of Diamond Stadium.
So, now CDOT has made Selling and Moving nearly impossible too!!!
Way to GO California! I Demand a Tax Credit!
P.S. Thanks to all you careless drivers of cars, trucks and motorcycles who drive that road like it’s your own private race course and cause accidents. Thanks to all you people who have Attention Deficit Disorder and can’t concentrate on the road causing more accidents.
The rest of us suffer because people can’t take responsibility for bad driving. It’s the road’s fault. Bad road, Bad!