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Preliminary Environment S1E9Y CI(KTs9 <br /> PROJECT DESCRIPTION <br /> The City of Santa Ana, in coordination with the California Department of Transportation (Department), is <br /> proposing to grade separate the existing Santa Ana Boulevard/Orange County Transportation Authority <br /> (OCTA) Metrolink at-grade railroad crossing in the City of Santa Ana, Orange County, California (see <br /> Figures 1 and 2). <br /> Currently, 66 trains cross Santa Ana Boulevard at this location on weekdays. The purpose of the <br /> proposed project is to eliminate the at-grade crossing of Santa Ana Boulevard and the Orange County <br /> Transportation Authority (OCTA) Metrolink tracks by creating a grade separation, including depressing <br /> the profile of Santa Ana Boulevard under the adjacent Metrolink tracks to: enhance traffic operations; <br /> improve pedestrian and bicycle user safety; improve emergency response times; and reduce existing <br /> traffic congestion along Santa Ana Boulevard. <br /> "The proposed project improvements extend along Santa Ana Boulevard from approximately Santiago <br /> Street at the west end to the west side of the Interstate 5 (1-5) southbound off-ramp intersection with <br /> Santa Ana Boulevard."As part of the grade separation the proposed project includes: minor improvements <br /> to the Santa Ana Boulevard/Santiago Street intersection; terminating Logan Street north of Santa Ana <br /> Boulevard by constructing a cul-de-sac; and improvements to Fuller Street, both north and south of Santa <br /> Ana Boulevard (see Figure 3). <br /> The project proposes to relocate Santa Ana Boulevard approximately 30 feet south of its existing <br /> alignment, to construct a utility corridor on the north side of the roadway, and to maintain the existing lane <br /> configuration of three (3) lanes in each direction for the entire length of the project. <br /> The proposed project will include the construction of an underpass bridge (i.e., roadway going under the <br /> railroad tracks) and retaining walls, installation of paving, curbs, gutters, medians, sidewalks, streetlights, <br /> landscape and irrigation features, drainage facilities, and the relocation of utilities. <br /> During construction the project proposes to construct a temporary two track shoofly railroad alignment for <br /> the purpose of constructing the underpass structure while maintaining railroad service, which is to be <br /> constructed beginning just south of the existing Metrolink crossing of 1-5 and terminating south of the <br /> Santa Ana Transportation Center near 4t" Street. This shoofly alignment would be located east of the <br /> existing railroad alignment. The project also proposes to construct a two-lane detour road south of Santa <br /> Ana Boulevard, which would be used by traffic during the construction of the underpass bridge and its <br /> approaches. The project also proposes to use Fruit Street as a detour route during the final phase of <br /> construction. New right-of-way, including both permanent acquisition and temporary easements, will be <br /> needed for the construction of the shoofly and detour road. <br /> Construction staging areas for the proposed project would potentially be located on the following <br /> properties: APNs 398-093-13, 398-092-12, and 398-207-01. The disposal site for the proposed project, if <br /> needed, will be selected by the contractor. Any environmental clearances related to the disposal site will <br /> be obtained by the contractor prior to construction. <br /> The proposed project is included in the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and 2011 cost- <br /> constrained Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) (federal approval date of December 14, <br /> 2010) as project ID ORA082610. The project as proposed is consistent with the 2011 FTIP description. <br /> 1 <br />