Politics & Government

$6 Million Contract Marks Next Step in La Pata Extension

The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously awarded a design contract to start planning the two-mile connection between San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano that will provide an alternate route out of town.

The is another step closer to completion after Orange County Supervisors awarded Tuesday a $6 million design contract.

The road, which will pass through the Prima Deshecha Landfill to connect San Juan Capistrano to San Clemente, promises an alternate route out of San Clemente, now limited to the 5 freeway and Pacific Coast Highway.

The contract was awarded to Huitt-Zollars, Inc., who will not create the final plans, but will gather enough geotechnical data, construction information and cost estimates to make the project "shelf ready," meaning it will be more likely to win grants

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According to county documents, the project will be extremely complex because it passes through the landfill; the ground there is inconsistent and geologically unstable because of the layers of waste, and it will require extra engineering.

"The work between Ortega Highway and Calle Saluda will be one of the largest and most complex roadway projects the County has recently undertaken," say county public works staffers in the report to the supervisors about the La Pata extension.

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