What
is the Santa Ana Mountain Tunnel?
Current discussions on alleviating traffic congestion on the 91
Freeway include an 11.5-mile tunnel from Interstate 15 near Cajalco
Road in Corona to the 241/133 interchange in Irvine. The tunnel's
construction would require $8.6 billion in local, state and federal
funds, and is one of several alternatives and combinations being
considered. In addition to the dangers inherent in crossing three
faults, and digging a tunnel where groundwater conditions are uncertain,
there will be significant impacts above ground. The tunnel construction
would require air vents and emergency access roads. The rock and
dirt removed to make the tunnel could fill Qualcomm Stadium in San
Diego, five times! Construction would run 24-hours a day, 365 days
a year and benefits wouldn't be seen till 2030. And it would only
serve a meager 57,000 cars per day in a region with 5 million residents
(as of 2030). It would be a toll road, ranging from $5 to $20 each
way. Notably, the tunnel would require equipment, machines and components
that are so advanced in order to withstand the groundwater pressures
and so on, that they have not even been invented yet! Impacts to
the National Forest, several watercourses, residents and local highways
would be unprecedented. Join Waterkeeper in opposing the Irvine-Corona
Expressway.
Links to More Information
- North County Times article, "REGION:
Study says tunnel feasible but costly" (Jan. 27, 2010)
- **NEW** Download the Executive
Summary of Feasibility Analysis for Tunnel (Dec. 11, 2009)
- Download IEWK's Presentation
to Local Leaders on Why We Should Not Support The Tunnel, and
instead Protect the Temescal/Elsinore Valleys (PDF, large)
**contains spectacular photos**
-
JOIN THE LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN!
We have drafted for you three template letters expressing
the concerns of the community against this project, and their
suggested solutions based off a public survey conducted in the
spring of 2009. The three major players at this time are, Riverside
County Transportation Commission, the City of Corona, and the
Orange County Transportation Authority. Send them a letter today!
Easiest way: CLICK ON THIS LINK http://cacoastkeeper.org/take-action/speak-out/7
TO SEND OUT ALL THREE LETTERS AT ONCE.
Download letter to RCTC (English): Word
(38KB) AND NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
(PDF, 77KB)
Download letter to City of Corona (English): Word
(34KB)
Download letter to OCTA (English): Word
(31KB)
Thanks!
- Press Enterprise artcle (1/14/09), "More
study urged for Corona-to-Irvine tunnel plan"
- Press Enterprise article (11/14/08), "Corona-to-Orange
County tunnel appears feasible after early tests, officials say"
but we will wait to see the results this December before
deciding whether or not that is true.
- OC Register article, "Engineers
OK Riverside County - O.C. tunnel" in regards to the
results of borings to test viability of a Metropolitan Water District
10- to 12-foot diameter water pipe from Lake Mathews to Irvine.
Cost ranges from $680 million to $770 million with construction
lasting more than 7 years.
- Public scoping letter for Special Use Permit from U.S. Forest
Service (PDF,
591 KB) and map of approximate borehole locations (PDF,
3,466 KB). Comments/questions/data to U.S.F.S. by March 21,
2008.
- Make a donation to Inland Empire Waterkeeper to help
continue our mission: http://www.iewaterkeeper.org/iewaterkeeper/get-involved/donate.asp
How You Can Help
We recommend that interested persons should get on the project
contact list by sending a joint email to both FChavarria@octa.net
and JStandiford@rctc.org indicating your interest
in the Irvine-Corona Expressway project.
Please also check the following three websites often:
Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) at www.rctc.org/91roca.asp
Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) at www.octa.net
Riverside Orange Corridor Authority (ROCA) at www.octa.net/abetter91roca.aspx
To read a recent article in Popular Mechanics detailing
the proposed project, click
here.
[BACK TO TOP]
|
