Nossaman Congratulates the Orange County Transportation Authority on Opening of I-405 Improvement Project

Nossaman congratulates the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) on the opening of the I-405 Improvement Project in northwest Orange County on December 1, 2023. As the Los Angeles Times noted in its article on the opening, it “marked the final step of a massive $2.16-billion highway improvement project.”

Commenting on the opening, OCTA’s Chairman Gene Hernandez, who also serves as the mayor of Yorba Linda, said,  “I am immensely proud to announce the successful completion of the I-405 Improvement Project, the largest undertaking in OCTA’s history…OCTA’s delivery of this project showcases our commitment to Orange County’s voters and to improving the quality of life for everyone who lives, works or travels through this area.”

Nossaman served as special counsel to OCTA on the project. The Firm was engaged as part of the Authority’s program management team to advise on the $2.16 billion design-build project to add a general-purpose lane and an express toll lane, as well as the conversion of an existing HOV lane to tolling, in each direction for a 16-mile stretch of freeway. The project, the largest highway upgrade in California, relieves pressure on one of the state’s most congested corridors. The project is financed in part with local sales tax revenues and a $629 million TIFIA loan which is repaid from revenue derived from operation of the express lanes.

CBS News, ABC 7, NBC Los Angeles, KTLA and many other media outlets covered the opening.