The Orange County Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE-OC) will honor the recently completed Los Patrones Parkway as Outstanding Transportation Project at its annual awards ceremony on Feb. 21.

Los Patrones Parkway is a 4.5-mile road that provides increased mobility and direct access to the 241 Toll Road from Oso Parkway to Cow Camp Road. The project also includes a dedicated pedestrian and bike lane. Built with two wildlife undercrossings, Los Patrones Parkway also includes a wildlife fence along the side of the road to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve the effectiveness of the existing undercrossings. The project’s scope included restoring more than 100 acres of nearby slopes with native plants during construction.

Brought forward through a partnership with the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), Rancho Mission Viejo and the County of Orange, construction of the $100 million project was funded by TCA, the government agency that oversees operations of California’s largest network of toll roads – State Routes 73, 133, 241 and 261. Construction was led by Rancho Mission Viejo with oversight by the County of Orange Public Works.

“With more than 20 years of successfully operating Orange County’s Toll Roads, we understand the importance of improving mobility while also protecting the surrounding beautiful natural environment,” said Mike Kraman, Chief Executive Officer for TCA. “Los Patrones Parkway provides another route for accessing the 241 Toll Road and connections to regional job centers; it’s an honor to be recognized by ASCE-OC for partnering with Rancho Mission Viejo and the County of Orange.”

With more than 2,500 members in the Orange County Chapter, ASCE-OC is the fourth largest chapter within ASCE, representing an international profession that plans, designs, constructs and operates the built environment, while protecting and restoring the natural environment.

At the north end of Los Patrones Parkway, a project is currently underway to turn Oso Parkway into a bridge over Los Patrones Parkway providing drivers a seamless connection to the 241 Toll Road. The $30 million Oso Parkway Bridge Project is expected to be completed in 2020.

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. Fifty-one miles of the system are complete, including the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads. TCA continues to meet the region’s growing need for congestion-free transportation alternatives.