Tunnel approaches key decision

By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer | Sunday, September 16, 2007 12:36 AM PDT ∞

Transportation official Cathy Bechtel is asked the question all the time: "When is that tunnel going to be built? When can we drive in it?"

Commuters are understandably eager to try out the highway that one day might be built under the Cleveland National Forest, connecting Riverside County bedroom communities with Orange County jobs, said Bechtel, director of project development for the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

There's just one problem, she said: "We don't know if it's even possible yet."

Riverside County transportation officials hope to determine whether or not it is possible to build the $6 billion road by sometime late next year. And officials say the answer lies deep beneath the chaparral- and oak-covered peaks of the Santa Ana Mountains that straddle the Riverside-Orange county boundary.

In 2005, The Riverside County Transportation Commission, in a bid to deliver relief to commuters who fight congestion on Highways 91 and 74, backed the concept of a highway under the mountains, following a study of a half-dozen options for improving travel between the counties. The new road would run 12 miles from Cajalco Road and Interstate 15 in south Corona to the junction of Highways 241 and 133 in Irvine.

The four- to six-lane highway would run in twin parallel shafts approximately 54 feet in diameter, with eastbound lanes in one bore and westbound lanes in the other, said Tony Rahimian, a Santa Ana consultant helping the agency study the concept.

A possible third tunnel could house trains, trucks and utility lines.

First things first

Because of the huge financial mountain officials will have to climb to pay for the expensive venture, Rahimian said consultants have recommended the highway be financed as a toll road.

The tunnel toll-road concept emerged in late 2005 from a joint Riverside County-Orange County study that examined options for providing congestion relief. That study, in an admittedly very rough guess, estimated that construction could begin in 2017 and take six years to complete.

And, so, the answer to the question everyone is asking is that it will be 2023 ---- at the earliest ---- before anyone gets to drive through a tunnel to Orange County.

Before commuters even begin to think about using the road, though, transportation officials will have to answer the fundamental question of whether the project is technically feasible.

In their quest to find that answer, Riverside County officials recently applied for permission from the U.S. Forest Service to drill nearly a half-mile down into the mountains. Ranger Keith Fletcher of the Cleveland National Forest's Trabuco district said it is "highly likely" the request will be granted, and that permits will be issued early next year.

The commission is hoping to obtain rock and soil cores at five different locations and has suggested seven potential sites for the borings, Fletcher said.

Water and rock

Eric Haley, the transportation commission's executive director, said "the borings are absolutely central to determining the viability of the project. We need to know what kind of rock we're dealing with and how viable the soils are for a tunnel. And we need to know a lot about water tables."

Rahimian said it is important to find out where the ground water lies because that will help planners and consultants gauge the water pressure under the mountain.

"We want to make sure that the tunnel is leakproof, so that water doesn't leak into the tunnel," he said. "It won't be acceptable to anyone if we change the ecology of the mountains."

Rahimian said planners also want to know whether the rock is solid or loose. The more solid the rock, the easier ----and less expensive ---- it will be to construct tunnels through the mountains.

Bechtel said the commission has hired Kleinfelder of Irvine to drill for the answers. She said the firm's $6 million survey will get under way as soon as the forest permits arrive.

Rahimian said it should take between three and six months to drill. He added that the drilling would present a challenge because most of the potential sites cannot be reached by truck or car, and a helicopter would have to be flown in.

Each core will be drilled approximately a mile apart, he said.

The money for the undertaking would come out of a $15.8 million federal grant approved a few years back for the highway study.

No drumbeat of support

The drilling would follow a similar exercise undertaken several months earlier, in the same area, by Metropolitan Water District. The district drilled two holes.

Metropolitan spokesman Bob Muir in Los Angeles said the giant water agency is analyzing the cores to see if it is feasible to punch a pipeline through the mountains to connect a planned treatment plant near Lake Mathews with its water delivery system in south Orange County. Muir said results are anticipated in December.

Regional officials have raised the possibility of pooling their resources ---- and saving taxpayers money ---- by putting the road and pipeline in the same set of tunnels.

However, he said that may not be practical.

Because Metropolitan intends to use gravity rather than costly pumps to move water from Riverside County to Orange County, the water tunnel likely will have to be built well below the mountaintops, Rahimian said. And, in order to make the highway leakproof, transportation officials may have to build the toll-road tunnel higher.

And even if the technical, environmental and financial hurdles are overcome, there is still a political obstacle threatening to kill the dream of a tunnel linking Riverside and Orange counties. That obstacle is the significant opposition from south Orange County residents and elected officials who fear their lifestyle could be compromised.

"I would characterize the view of Orange County as cautious at this point, early in the game," the commission's Haley said. "It is fair to say that there is no drumbeat of support coming from Orange County, so there is still some selling to do ---- if this turns out to be a viable project."

Contact staff writer Dave Downey at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2623, or ddowney@californian.com.

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Pie in The Sky Dreams wrote on Sep 16, 2007 12:22 PM:This is the silliest idea for a freeway I've ever heard. Who in their right mind would want to drive in a two lane tunnel, under a mountain, in California earthquake country. Water and utilities is one thing, but putting people down there is not safe. It doesn't matter anyways since half the people who drive the 91 freeway will be retired by 2023 anyways. They will never fix the traffic problem, because Orange and Riverside county have mad an agreement to keep the 91 congested. Orange County wants higher property values and increased growth. They try to discurage people from moving to Riverside County by keeping the freeways congested. On Riverside Counties side they want to encourage people to find jobs closer to home so they also do nothing about the traffic on the 91. Any real improvements they make in peoples life time will just be drops in the bucket to maintain a traffic nightmare statis quo.

What? wrote on Sep 16, 2007 1:19 PM:This is insane. How about this, if you work in Orange County don't buy a house in Riverside County. If you live in Riverside County don't get a job in Orange County.

Alf wrote on Sep 16, 2007 1:42 PM:Well, "What?", if you buy a house, that's a 15 to 30 year investment. Whether it be the employer or the employee, when was the last time that you heard of a job that lasted 15 to 30 years? Not in this generation. If you buy a house near where you work and the job or the company dies, what do you do? Do you take less money to stay in the same area or do you commute to a better paying job (or one that pays what you made) 15 or 20 or 30 miles away? THINK in realistic terms. Remember, that you can't always just sell (at a profit or even close) and move, can you? Not in these times. Regards, Alf.

lambert wesley vines, jr wrote on Sep 16, 2007 3:09 PM:We had a poor third cousin who once lived in the Riverside County. The terms of his parole were finally adjusted so that he was permitted to move his residence to another County. Two years ago he left the Lake Elsinore area and moved far away. He reports his life has improved in all regards and he regrets having wasted any of his life living in such a dreadful area. I sincerely doubt the presence of a tunnel to OC would have improved his miserable life in Riverside County.

OCKen wrote on Sep 16, 2007 3:40 PM:To Pie- Ever been to Japan? The proposed Riverside-OC tunnel is child's play compared to road and railway tunnels in Japan where there are many more fault lines and quakes! But I agree the tunnel is Pie in the Sky. Here in OC a lot of us pay Mello-Roos for infrastructure and everyone pays Measure M sales tax. Riverside County developers conned county planners into not charging for improvements. Homebuyers drank the Kool-Aid and now are sitting in traffic or paying $$$ getting to and from their less expensive homes.

Jason wrote on Sep 16, 2007 4:08 PM:I have no problem living in Riverside County, this place is NICE, if you dont like it though then it wont be, i consider Inland San Diego County just as nice, though i would not live in the South Or Western Section, South being to much racism and West more expensive then OC. As for the tunnel, its just stupid! there clearly wasting our money on something even if built will never EVER solve the problem, building a tunnel will take so long that by the time its finished it to will be congested!

Modern wrote on Sep 16, 2007 5:09 PM:Clearly, something has to be done. The tunnel is one of many ideas floating out there. We have a problem with traffic, everyone can agree on that. What to do with the problem is something we can't agree on. The tunnel will take too long to make a difference (even though I think it’s a great example of thinking outside the box). The 91 is where we should focus our energy. The 91 express lanes have to be made into normal car pool lanes. That alone will help with traffic. The OC transit has made so much money on this; all there money is pure profit now. It’s time for Riversideonians to stand up and put a measure on the ballet to get rid of the 91 fastrack! Once we do that, then we can talk about expanding the lanes. If the OC don’t like it…too bad.

Erik wrote on Sep 16, 2007 8:02 PM:The OC home builders don't want anyone to have an easy way to commute. The road will never happen. Keep those home prices up and keep screwing the buyers!!! Lets plow that road thru San Clemente and really screw So Cal.More homes we don't need. All they want is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Let's get rich and screw eveyone else, Right?????????????????????????

Alan... wrote on Sep 17, 2007 1:41 PM:How about Cathy Bechtel answering the question ?NEVER?? Why should this expensive tunnel be built anyway? The 91 toll way went bankrupt and the transit district had to take over at a good profit for the toll way people. Because of the original agreement with the 91 toll way people the 91 could not be improved or a substitute built that could compete with the toll way. What a deal for someone. Now that the toll way is back in the hands of the transit district why can?t the 91 now be improved to handle more traffic and the toll lanes made into car pool lanes? Yes I know that the feds are pushing to increase the volumes of the car pool lanes and charging tolls to discourage us is under consideration on car pool lanes in several areas. Also in thinking out ?side the box? double and triple tracking the Metrolink lines between Riverside and Irving. With half or even hourly service with connecting feeder busses the need for this tunnel would greatly be reduced. If one must have a tunnel a high speed rail tunnel would require much smaller bores at a much lower cost and the capacity would be much greater than an auto tunnel. Lets find a better use for the 15 million dollars for Bechtel to tell us if it is even possible and look at other ways of moving people from home to work and back. Alan...-

LT wrote on Sep 18, 2007 8:43 AM:What about all the times that Cathy's been told that we don't wish to be in a tunnel that crosses at least two known earthquake faults and a liquifaction area? Interesting that there is no mention here of those little "problems". If Riverside would work half as hard at bringing jobs that actually paid a LIVING WAGE to Riverside County, and required a minimum ratio of those new jobs to new homes approved already be available to support the residents who buy homes here, the residents here wouldn't have to travel to LA or OC in order to make thier mortgage payments.

Big Al wrote on Sep 18, 2007 1:22 PM:Traffic is horrible in most of SoCal during rush hours - east to west and north to south, what's the difference. Next we'll be talking about a tunnel between San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles - rediculous. When will we learn? The era of the mega transportation projects to solve commute problems is over. Work where you live and live where you work should be the guiding principal for the area.

anti-cali wrote on Sep 19, 2007 6:42 AM:Well, from what I understand, Riverside county has been extorting money from home builders, private and comercial for years to fund this tunnel. Last time I heard was $7500.00 before a home can even be planned. Sounds like someones pockets are growing, especially when it will never happen. I have heard about this tunnel idea since 1980, and it is BS! That would end up being 43 years in the planning????? What needs to be done is to decrease the surplus population in southern california. One idea that IS in the planning on this issue, is to just shut off the water to southern california for punishment for years and years of water abuse!!!! Ha Ha Ha!!! That will fix everything!!!!-

J wrote on Sep 19, 2007 7:21 AM:I live in a very nice part of Riverside County on a large horse property overlooking a lake and like the idea. I do not need to commute for work.-

BP wrote on Sep 19, 2007 9:55 AM:I agree with Modern. By the year 2023, the 91 frwy will have doubled in congestion. Focus needs to be made on an alternate route to OC and the 241 alleviating the Corona Crush area. Moving closer to your job isn't always an option, OC housing prices are WAY higher than the IE, as well as salaries. There is a reason for the commute!

Lance wrote on Feb 7, 2008 7:04 PM:I think most of you are missing the point. It’s not about where you work or live, or where the high paying jobs are. It’s about the fact that adding lanes to the 91 or turning toll lanes into car pool lanes will not keep up with increased traffic caused by urban sprawl, ever drive between the OC and Corona on Saturday at noon?

The only answer is to create a new road that alters the traffic pattern away from the congested 91. The tunnel project is the correct idea but executed incorrectly.

I say get a bulldozer and some bridge building equipment and cut an above ground highway directly along the proposed tunnel path (or something close to it) and stop messing around. The national forest will survive a six lane highway and we will have a traffic solution that’s complete in less than 10 years.

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