California State Route 73
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by Caltrans and TCA | ||||
Length | 17.764 mi[1] (28.588 km) | |||
Existed | 1978 (1996 in current form)–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | I-5 at the San Juan Capistrano–Mission Viejo–Laguna Niguel tripoint | |||
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North end | I-405 in Costa Mesa | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | California | |||
Counties | Orange | |||
Highway system | ||||
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State Route 73 (SR 73) is an approximately 17.76-mile (28.58 km)[1] state highway in Orange County, California. The southernmost 12 miles (19.31 km) of the highway is a toll road operated by the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency named the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, which opened in November 1996. The northernmost 5.76 miles (9.27 km) of the highway, which opened in 1978, is part of the Corona del Mar Freeway. SR 73's southern terminus is at
Route description
SR 73 begins at an interchange with
SR 73 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,[3] and is part of the National Highway System,[4] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.[5]
History
Most of SR 73 is a limited-access
SR 73 is not a toll road over its entire length. From its northbound terminus heading southbound, the first three miles (4.8 km) of SR 73 has no tolls and is known as the Corona Del Mar Freeway. SR 73's previous alignment had the freeway portion end at MacArthur Boulevard, and the SR 73 designations ran along with MacArthur south to meet SR 1 in
The design and construction of the highway cost a total of $800 million. The design and construction was overseen by the
SR 73's toll road was the first to be financed with tax-exempt bonds on a stand-alone basis, including construction and environmental risk. In 2011, $2.1 billion in debt for the San Joaquin Hills toll roads was restructured, which pushed back the time until the bonds are paid off and the route becomes a state-owned freeway to 2042.[7] In 2014, the debt was again restructured in an attempt to get improved interest rates, improved debt ratings,[8] and in the process save $44 million in debt repayment. This resulted in another eight years of payments, delaying the pay-off date to 2050.[9] Under this new plan the debt can be paid off earlier than 2050 if ridership and revenue improve.[8]
Tolls
The tolled portion of SR 73 (beginning after Greenfield Drive in the northbound direction, and starting after the Bison Avenue exit in the southbound direction) employs a
Drivers who drive the entire tolled segment of SR 73 will only encounter the Catalina View Mainline toll gantry. As of July 2022[update], the gantry uses a congestion pricing scheme based on the time of day for FasTrak users, while non-FasTrak drivers must pay the $9.00 maximum toll regardless of the day and time. Tolls are also collected at a flat rate for all drivers at the northbound exits and southbound entrances of La Paz Road ($2.60), Aliso Creek Road ($3.23), and SR 133 ($3.92); and at the southbound exits and northbound entrances of Newport Coast Drive ($3.64) and Bonita Canyon Drive ($2.20).[13]
Exit list
The entire route is in Orange County.
Location | mi [14][1][15][16] | km | Exit [14] | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Diego | No access to I-5 north; southern terminus of SR 73; exit 85A on I-5 north | ||||
Laguna Niguel–Laguna Hills line | 1.79 | 2.88 | 2 | Greenfield Drive | Southern end of toll road; last free exit for northbound traffic |
Aliso Viejo | 2.91 | 4.68 | 3 | Moulton Parkway | Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
3.40 | 5.47 | 3 | La Paz Road | Tolled northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
4.72 | 7.60 | 4 | Aliso Creek Road | Tolled northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
5.25 | 8.45 | 5 | Pacific Park Drive / Glenwood Drive | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
CR S18 ) | Tolled northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exit 7 southbound | ||||
San Joaquin Hills | 8.70 | 14.00 | Catalina View Mainline toll gantry | ||
Irvine–Newport Beach line | 11.46 | 18.44 | 11 | Newport Coast Drive | Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance |
12.00 | 19.31 | 12 | Bonita Canyon Drive | Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
12.74 | 20.50 | 13 | Bison Avenue | Last free exit for southbound traffic | |
14.00 | 22.53 | 14 | MacArthur Boulevard north – John Wayne Airport | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; northern end of toll road | |
14A | MacArthur Boulevard south – Newport Beach | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; former routing of SR 73 south | |||
Newport Beach | 14.35 | 23.09 | 14B | University Drive | Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
15.01 | 24.16 | 15 | Jamboree Road | No northbound exit | |
Birch Street | Northbound exit only | ||||
15.53 | 24.99 | 16 | Irvine Avenue / Campus Drive | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
Costa Mesa Freeway ) | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; exit 5A on SR 55 | ||||
17B | SR 55 south (Costa Mesa Freeway) | Signed as exit 17A southbound; exit 5A on SR 55 | |||
17.23 | 27.73 | 17C | Bear Street | Signed as exit 17B southbound | |
17.76– 17.95 | 28.58– 28.89 | 18B | Fairview Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
— | 405 Express Lanes north | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; opened in December 2023[17] | |||
— | Susan Street / Harbor Boulevard | Northbound exit only; southbound access via I-405 | |||
18A | I-405 north (San Diego Freeway) – Long Beach | No access to I-405 south; northern terminus of SR 73; exit 10 on I-405 south | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
- California Roads portal
References
- ^ a b c California Department of Transportation. "State Truck Route List". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (XLS file) on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ Orange County Street Atlas (Map). Thomas Brothers. 2008.
- ^ "Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Division 1". California Streets and Highways Code. Sacramento: California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ Federal Highway Administration (March 25, 2015). National Highway System: Los Angeles, CA (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ^ http://www.newportcoastdrive.com Archived 2017-01-06 at the Wayback Machine Exhibit 30. page 4. "On October 17, 1988, the County and city members of the TCA amended the Joint Powers Agreement to exercise power authorized by the legislature to impose and collect tolls on the Corridor"
- ^ TheTollRoads.com Press Release May 2011
- ^ a b "Reuters, S&P Improves Debt Rating to Investment Grade". Reuters. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ TheTollRoads.com Press Release Oct 2014
- ^ "All Electronic Tolling". Transportation Corridor Agencies. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
- ^ "ExpressAccount". Transportation Corridor Agencies. October 2, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "Ways to Pay Tolls". Transportation Corridor Agencies. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- ^ "The Toll Roads Rate Card" (PDF). Transportation Corridor Agencies. July 1, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- ^ California Numbered Exit Uniform System. California Department of Transportation. September 28, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ California Department of Transportation (July 2007). "Log of Bridges on State Highways". Sacramento: California Department of Transportation.
- ^ California Department of Transportation, All Traffic Volumes on CSHS, 2005 and 2006
- ^ "405 Express Lanes". Orange County Transportation Authority. August 10, 2022.
External links
- Caltrans: State Route 73 highway conditions
- Caltrans Traffic Conditions Map
- California Highway Patrol Traffic Incidents
- Transportation Corridor Agencies official website – includes toll information on SR 73 and the other Toll Roads of Orange County
- Project Description at Kiewit
- California @ AARoads.com - State Route 73
- California Highways: SR 73