ASCE Los Angeles Section

Placentia | Fullerton

For the past five decades, State Route 57 has integrally linked more than 100,000 motorists to north Orange County and its surrounding attractions. The State Route 57 Northbound Widening Project consists of 8 miles of freeway widening to accommodate an additional lane and convert northbound auxiliary lanes into through mixed flow lanes between Katella Ave and Lambert Road in the Cities of Anaheim, Placentia and Fullerton. The three phase (North, Central and South), $104.3 million project’s key design features included the widening of 13 bridge structures, several thousand linear feet of sound walls retaining walls, drainage improvements, and involved an extensive public outreach effort focused on gaining citizen input and community support.  The project delivers operational and capital improvements to help relieve traffic congestion and improves connectivity to major residential, business and entertainment destinations.

RBF Consulting, a Michael Baker International Company, won the bid to deliver the Central phase and provided Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) for 2.5 miles of roadway, structure, traffic, drainage design, the relocation of a Caltrans fiber optic communication trunk line and intelligent transportation system (ITS) components. Additionally, RBF was responsible for developing an Environmental Revalidation to building upon the approved Environmental Document developed during the PA/ED phase. RBF was also responsible for identifying and obtaining all of the applicable required regulatory permits, determining and documenting right of way constraints from initial ROW requirements through Appraisal Maps, and providing a “Before” and “After” Record of Survey and Final Monumentation documentation.

Delivery of the SR-57 Northbound Widening (Central) Project achieved a significant component of the OCTA Chokepoint Program aimed at reducing freeway congestion within the County of Orange.  In addition, the project is one of the first OCTA projects delivered as part of the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) program. All northbound entrance and exit ramps were modified to accommodate the widened configuration of the mainline. 

The widening required the relocation of several ITS components, including:  a changeable message sign (CMS), a traffic monitoring station (TMS), four closed circuit television cameras (CCTV), and four ramp metering systems (RMS). A temporary hybrid fiber optic communication system was designed to maintain operation of each ITS field element during construction.  The hybrid system included the use of fiber optic cabling and CDMA cellular data modems.

An innovative design feature developed by RBF to maintain operation of the RMS during construction was the use of a solar powered microwave vehicle detection system (MVDS) that provided a contact closure, wirelessly, in the controller cabinet via the use of a 900 MHz radio.  The MVDS was mounted on a steel pole and placed in a specially-designed above ground base that allowed the system to be easily relocated during the various stages of construction.

One of the major obstacles to overcome was a significant portion of the project was located adjacent to residential uses. Private land needed to be acquired and various existing structures required alteration. Construction of new combination sound wall/retaining walls, that reached as high as 35 feet, were established to aid in the reduction of freeway noise.

RBF Consulting, a Michael Baker International Company delivered the Central phase of the SR 57 Northbound Widening Project and provided Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) for 2.5 miles of roadway, structure, traffic, drainage design, the relocation of a Caltrans fiber optic communication trunk line and intelligent transportation system (ITS) components.

The State Route 57 Northbound Widening Project consists of 8 miles of freeway widening to accommodate an additional lane and convert northbound auxiliary lanes into through mixed flow lanes between Katella Ave and Lambert Road in the Cities of Anaheim, Placentia and Fullerton. The three phase (North, Central and South), $104.3 million project’s key design features included the widening of 13 bridge structures, several thousand linear feet of sound walls retaining walls, drainage improvements, and involved an extensive public outreach effort focused on gaining citizen input and community support. 

RBF Consulting, a Michael Baker International Company, won the bid to deliver the Central phase and provided Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) for 2.5 miles of roadway, structure, traffic, drainage design, the relocation of a Caltrans fiber optic communication trunk line and intelligent transportation system (ITS) components. Additionally, RBF was responsible for developing an Environmental Revalidation to building upon the approved Environmental Document developed during the PA/ED phase. RBF was also responsible for identifying and obtaining all of the applicable required regulatory permits, determining and documenting right of way constraints from initial ROW requirements through Appraisal Maps, and providing a “Before” and “After” Record of Survey and Final Monumentation documentation.

The widening required the relocation of several ITS components, including:  a changeable message sign (CMS), a traffic monitoring station (TMS), four closed circuit television cameras (CCTV), and four ramp metering systems (RMS). An innovative design feature developed by RBF to maintain operation of the RMS during construction was the use of a solar powered microwave vehicle detection system (MVDS) that provided a contact closure, wirelessly, in the controller cabinet via the use of a 900 MHz radio.  The MVDS was mounted on a steel pole and placed in a specially-designed above ground base that allowed the system to be easily relocated during the various stages of construction.