Lincoln Avenue Widening over the Santa Ana River

Project Location:

Lincoln Avenue from Rio Vista Street (in the City of Anaheim) to Riverbend Parkway (in the City of Orange) including Lincoln Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River

Project Description:

The project restriped Lincoln Avenue, from Rio Vista Street (just east of the State Route 57 Freeway) to Kingsley Street, to add an additional general use travel lane in each direction (from four lanes to six lanes) and added modified Class II bike lanes, widened Lincoln Avenue from Kingsley Avenue to Batavia Street, to add an additional general use travel lane in each direction(from four lanes to six lanes) and modified Class II bike lanes and raised sidewalks on both sides, widened the bridge across the Santa Ana River and construct concrete barrier/sidewalks and pedestrian railing on both sides, constructed new sidewalk on the north side of Lincoln Avenue from the bridge to Riverbend Parkway and replaced the adjacent open trapezoidal channel with an underground storm drain pipe.
The project also constructed retaining walls, approximately 12 feet high, along both side of the roadway embankment through the Orange County Water District (OCWD) detention basin, to provide widened roadway width, without extending the toe to the existing embankment into the basin and extend the OCWD access road culvert undercrossing at the westerly side of the detention basin to match the widened roadway section.
The project also reconstructed the Santa Ana River Bike Trail/maintenance access road undercrossing ramps at the easterly bridge approach and the earthen equestrian trail/maintenance access road undercrossing ramps at the westerly bridge approach further upstream & downstream to maintain the required vertical clearance under the widened bridge.

Project Justification:

The project was initiated in 2004 from a resident’s request of constructing sidewalks and bikeways on Lincoln Avenue between Kingsley Street in Anaheim and Batavia Street in Orange to provide better access from the Anaheim/Orange residents to access the Santa Ana River Bike Trail and nearby shopping areas.  At that time, Lincoln Avenue within the project limits was labeled as a “hotspot” because of the traffic congestion.  Both Cities and County were interested in pursuing an ultimate widening of Lincoln Avenue for better traffic flow. However, none of the jurisdictions were able to commit to funding for the project at that time. As a result, an interim striping and guard rail improvements project on the Lincoln Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River was constructed to temporarily address the resident’s concern while the County performed preliminary studies and secured funding for the ultimate widening project.

The project’s most significant achievement is to close a sidewalk gap between Riverbend Parkway and Kingsley Street to provide safe and continuous raised sidewalks within the project limits. It also improved the traffic flow and bicyclist safety by providing a 6-lanes arterial highway and continuous class II bike lanes from Batavia Street to Rio Vista Street.

Special Circumstances:

1. Inter-agencies relationship: better cooperative relationship between the two Cities and the County. Improve the understanding of how other agencies operate: Orange County Water District, City of Anaheim Public Works, City of Anaheim Public Utilities, City of Orange, and Arm Corp of Engineer (Los Angeles District).

2. Inter-county relationship: coordination within the County’s Departments: OC Public Works, OC Parks and OC Flood Control District

3. Trust from Project Stakeholders:
    a. City of Anaheim Public Utilities: power poles (including 12 KV electrical line and other communication lines). Coordination between Orange County Design, Construction and City’s Public Utilities and other community utility companies, the power poles were successfully relocated to accommodate the bridge and roadway widening.
    b. The City of Anaheim requires special street lights for barrier mounted street light. With coordination between the county and city, this requirement is satisfied.
    c.       Southern California Gas Company:  The demand for a 30” high pressure gas line was developed in the late phase of the project right before project advertisement. However, with the collaborative effort between the County, the Contractor, and the Gas Company, the relocation was successful without significantly delaying the roadway and bridge construction.
d. RJ Noble & residents:  maintain access for adjacent businesses and minimize the impacts of the construction and to tree planting.

4. ACOE (408 Permit): The project bridge widening requires ACOE Section 408 permit: Despite limited resources allocated for the permit review, ACOE had successfully issued the permit before construction started. Orange County Designer team worked with ACOE reviewers through Orange County Flood Control District to address all the ACOE’s concerns.

Project Attachments:

Please see additional information noted below.

Award Citation::

As an Orange County gateway linking the City of Anaheim to the City of Orange is the Lincoln
Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River.  The Lincoln Avenue Bridge widening project
successfully provides a safe, multi-use accessible six (6) lane corridor with bike lanes and
raised sidewalk on each side from Batavia to the 57 Freeway.  This project not only
improves trafffic to a Level of Service (LOS) A, but acts as the main Anaheim Cove entry
to the Santa Ana River Pedestrian and Bike Trail.

Suggested Award Summary:

As an Orange County gateway linking the City of Anaheim to the City of Orange is the Lincoln Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River.  The $8 Million Lincoln Avenue Bridge widening project successfully provides a safe, multi-use accessible six (6) lane corridor with bike lanes and raised sidewalk on each side from Batavia to the 57 Freeway. This project not only improves traffic to a Level of Service (LOS) A, but acts as the main Anaheim Cove entry to the Santa Ana River Pedestrian and Bike Trail through cooperative efforts by the County, Cities, and Water District. Other major improvements include installation of pedestrian railing, construction of retaining walls on both sides of roadway embankment through Orange County Water District (OCWD) detention basins, relocation of utilities, and
replacement of trapezoidal concrete channel with underground storm drain. The Lincoln Avenue Bridge Widening is a significant achievement for all stakeholders involved.

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