It long ago earned the nickname "Ricochet Alley," a narrow, three-mile stretch of tight curves through the Santa Ana Mountains.

Now, the winding section of Ortega Highway — where 12 people have been killed in traffic accidents in the last decade — will be widened and perhaps tamed.

Caltrans’ $40-million project on California 74 will widen lanes and add shoulders, guardrails and turnouts along one of the few connectors between Orange and Riverside counties. Contractors will cut into the mountainside to eliminate blind curves that put drivers at risk, said Pam Gorniak, a Department of Transportation spokeswoman.

"The purpose of the project is to reduce accidents and save lives," Gorniak said.

But it won’t be easy, and it certainly won’t be convenient.

Ortega Highway is a narrow, 30-mile road that offers majestic views and considerable risk.

There are blind curves, plunging canyon walls and many motorcyclists hugging the center lanes.

But the alternatives for commuters shuttling between the two counties are massively inconvenient. Drivers can head to the congested 91 Freeway or drive south around Camp Pendleton. Commuters figure that either alternative adds hours to their drive.

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