OHL USA, Inc. has been awarded the single largest project in the company’s history in the United States. The $1.2 billion contract to design and construct the Interstate 405 Improvement Project from State Route 73 to Interstate 605 was awarded by the Orange County Transportation Authority. OHL USA, Inc. is the lead party in the joint venture, with a share of 60% or $720 million. When completed, the project will improve travel along the corridor, one of the most congested freeways in California.
Currently, I-405 carries more than 300,000 vehicles each day and by 2040 traffic volumes are expected to rise significantly. This project will increase freeway capacity, improve traffic and interchange operations, and enhance road safety to meet the latest state and federal standards.
The design-build project will improve 16 miles of the heavily-traveled interstate. The scope of work includes adding one general-purpose lane in each direction from Euclid Street to I-605 and making improvements to freeway entrances, exits and bridges. In addition, the project includes construction of express toll lanes in each direction from State Route 73 to Interstate 605, which will provide a fast, congestion-free and reliable travel option to motorists. The construction is expected to begin in 2017 and the project duration is approximately five years and eight months.
The California division currently has a total of 13 projects under construction, including the Fairway Drive Grade Separation, Machado Lake Ecosystem and Owens Lake Dust Mitigation. The award of the I-405 project further demonstrates OHL’s commitment to delivering the most innovative infrastructure solutions to its customers.
The OHL Group has operated in the United States since 2006. Its projects include the construction of the AirportLink and the State Road 826/836 Interchange in Florida; the expansion of the Interstate Highway 35 East in Texas; construction work on the Second Avenue Subway System’s 63rd Street and 72nd Street Stations in New York; the restoration of the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey; the reconstruction of the Woods Memorial Bridge and Revere Beach Parkway viaducts in Massachusetts; and the construction of the Elgin-O’Hare (IL-390) expressway interchange in Illinois.
Currently, OHL operates in nine states – Florida, New York, New Jersey, Texas, California, Illinois, Connecticut, Virginia, and Massachusetts – and the District of Columbia.
Images of the I-405 Improvement project in California.