The installation of vertical channelizer posts on the northbound 241 Toll Road from the Windy Ridge Mainline Toll Point to State Route (SR) 91 was completed ahead of schedule in the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 14.
Construction activities saw the installation of more than 800 channelizers - vertical posts made of plastic polyurethane – on the one-mile stretch of the 241 Toll Road leading to SR 91. Additionally, the project included the placement of new roadway signage and lane striping.
Drivers are advised to be alert when driving in the area, as they and others adjust to the change. Those wanting to go eastbound on SR 91 who miss getting in the correct lanes early will be forced onto the westbound SR 91 and will experience a longer trip by going to Weir Canyon before being able to circle back onto eastbound SR 91. The California Highway Patrol will also have increased presence to assist with the transition and enforcement.
The installation of the channelizers was a measure to ease traffic congestion in the area, improve traffic flow and promote good driving habits by preventing queue-jumpers, which will enhance safety for motorists transitioning from the 241 Toll Road to SR 91.
There are four lanes on the northbound 241 Toll Road as drivers approach SR 91 — two lanes on the left merge onto the westbound SR 91 and two lanes on the right merge onto the eastbound SR 91.
With most commuters traveling from Orange County to Riverside and San Bernardino counties in the afternoons, traffic congestion on SR 91 creates queuing on the northbound 241 Toll Road in the two right lanes, while traffic continues to flow in the two left lanes heading west to Anaheim and Yorba Linda.
Adding to the bumper-to-bumper frustration were queue jumpers – drivers who attempted to bypass the congestion by driving in the left two lanes only to cut-in at the last minute. These queue-jumpers created more congestion and safety concerns.
"This project was intended to enhance safety in this area, as well as to improve mobility for drivers transitioning from the 241 Toll Road to SR 91," said Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) CEO Samuel Johnson. "Adding channelizers will re-enforce better driving behaviors, which, in turn, will support the project’s intentions."
TCA continues to work with Caltrans, the Orange County Transportation Authority and the Riverside County Transportation Commission on the 241/91 Express Connector Project — a proposed tolled connector between the 241 Toll Road and the 91 Express Lanes.
Construction of the connector is set to begin in 2023. It will open to traffic in 2026.
"We look forward to working with our mobility partners in completing the 241/91 Express Connector Project, a connector that will provide congestion relief and add convenience to both toll-paying customers, as well as general-purpose lane users,” said Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency Chair and Yorba Linda City Council Member Peggy Huang. “In the interim, it is our belief the installation of channelizers will enhance safety and encourage drivers in the area to be courteous to other motorists."
The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) are two joint powers authorities formed by the California Legislature in 1986 to plan, finance, construct and operate Orange County’s public toll road system comprised of the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads.
