Rush-hour drivers on two of Orange County’s most notorious freeway chokepoints are in for years of construction, with the promise of a smoother ride at the end. Global engineering firm Jacobs has been selected to manage construction for major upgrades on both SR‑91 between La Palma and SR‑55 and I‑5 between I‑405 and Yale Avenue, putting the company at the center of lane additions, bridge work and interchange overhauls aimed at easing chronic congestion on the busy freight and commuter corridors.
What Jacobs Will Do
According to Jacobs, the SR‑91 Improvement Project between La Palma and SR‑55 will add a new eastbound general‑purpose lane, widen several bridges and reconstruct interchanges along a stretch that already carries more than 300,000 vehicles a day. The firm will also provide construction management services for the I‑5 Improvement Project between I‑405 and Yale Avenue, a segment that handles average daily traffic of more than 275,000 vehicles.
“These projects are essential to improving mobility in one of the nation’s most congested regions,” Jacobs Executive Vice President Eva Wood said in the company’s announcement.
Scope, Cost And Timeline
The Orange County Transportation Authority pegs the I‑5 work as an approximately $716 million program that will add lanes and upgrade interchanges, with construction expected to wrap by 2030. OCTA reports that funding will come from a mix of Measure M sales‑tax revenue, reinvested 91 Express Lanes tolls and state and federal contributions.
OCTA and Caltrans officials have framed the I‑5 improvements as a long‑term investment in safety, reliability and the region’s economic growth, arguing that better traffic flow will help keep both commuters and goods moving.
Jacobs’ Business Context
The new Orange County assignments arrive as Jacobs reports what it calls a record backlog and a strengthened financial outlook. Per Jacobs, backlog climbed to about $27.0 billion in its fiscal second quarter, up roughly 22% from a year earlier…