California approves $2B-plus in funding for local transportation projects

The California Transportation Commission has approved hundreds of transportation projects under a state Senate bill that was signed into law in 2017, the Times of San Diego reports.

The projects will be funded entirely or partly by $690 million from SB-1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

“These projects are a just a small portion of the key improvements we need to maintain California’s critical transportation infrastructure,” Caltrans director Laurie Berman was quoted as saying.

In addition, the CTC approved more than $1.3 billion in funding toward nearly 150 transportation projects for additional maintenance, improvements and construction throughout California.

Local projects receiving funding include: the Interstate 5 North Coast Corridor HOV Extension; the Pavement Project on state Routes 52, 163, Interstates 15 and 805 in the city of San Diego; and the State Route 11 design for new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry.

The Interstate 5 North Coast Corridor HOV Extension includes 18 miles of high occupancy vehicle lanes in both directions from Encinitas to Carlsbad, software and infrastructure to help traffic flow, a park and ride facility and bicycle and pedestrian paths. The budget for the project is $266 million, with $195 million coming from SB 1.

The pavement project on state Routes 52, 163, Interstates 15 and 805 in San Diego is designed to improve safety, ride quality and extend the service life the freeway lanes. The budget for the project is $15.1 million, with $1.7 million funded from SB 1.