Community Commentary:

Orange County has been pursuing its road construction activities near John Wayne Airport for some time now.

We had hoped that it would have been completed by the end of July.

Unfortunately, our timeline has been disrupted, and I believe you are owed an explanation.

We are currently in the final stages of the widening of Irvine Avenue between University Drive and Bristol Street.

This project will relieve congestion and improve traffic flow by upgrading Irvine Avenue to a six-lane roadway and widening the intersection at Mesa Drive with a new right turn lane.

As a project partner, Newport Beach is funding the landscaping in the median between Orchard and Mesa drives and in the open space between Irvine Avenue and the Santa Ana Delhi flood control channel.

This project has faced many challenges, including Southern California Edison’s (SCE) relocation of its major electric transmission line on Mesa Drive.

As the relocation work began in late October, SCE crews were called away for several months to restore service and repair facilities damaged by the November Freeway Complex fire in Yorba Linda and Brea and were called away again because of flooding in the burn areas during the rainy season.

Another challenge was to protect the existing wall that supports the parking lot at the Back Bay Center commercial facility while constructing retaining walls along the southwest corner of Irvine Avenue and Mesa Drive.

In order to accomplish this, the contractor installed an extensive shoring system before constructing the new retaining walls.

There have also been a few other unexpected causes for delay, thus making this a lengthier project than we anticipated.

The contractor is currently completing construction of the drainage facilities on Mesa Drive and the median curbs on Irvine Avenue.

By mid-August, the contractor will begin placing the final pavement cap on the roadways and installing new traffic signals at Irvine Avenue and Mesa Drive.

All the work, including the median landscaping, is expected to be completed by mid-September.

I apologize for the inconvenience, and I believe you will enjoy the improvements upon their completion.

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JOHN MOORLACH represents District 2 as an Orange County supervisor.