Four years ago, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) began studying the environmental impacts of continuing the 710 Freeway underground, instead of on the surface.

On 06.03.2015 Caltrans and Metro released a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) on proposals regarding the 7.24 km gap between the I-210 Freeway in Pasadena and the end of the I-710 freeway in East Los Angeles. The five alternatives proposed in the Draft EIR/EIS are: No Build option that would leave conditions as they are; a traffic management system to upgrade and synchronize signals and improvements to local street intersections to more quickly move traffic that exits the dead end freeway; a rapid bus line featuring high frequency service with minimal stops and, potentially, a dedicated bus lane ; light rail to carry passengers between East Los Angeles and Pasadena; a 10.14km freeway tunnel that would extend the SR-710. A 120-day public comment period begins with the release of the document. Public comments can be submitted online, and three public hearings will be held. The public comment period ends 06.07.2015.

The study team is not selecting a preferred alternative until the public review process is completed for the DEIR/S and public comments are analyzed and responses prepared. It will ultimately be up to Caltrans and the 13-member Metro Board of Directors to adopt a preferred alternative.

At EUR5.19 billion (USD5.65 billion) the tunnel would cost more than twice as much as the light-rail alternative, estimated at EUR2.20 billion (USD2.4 billion).

So far, the “single bore” double-decker tunnel, which would consist of two northbound lanes on top of two southbound lanes in a single tunnel running beneath Alhambra, El Sereno, South Pasadena and the western part of Pasadena has gained the most traction. Construction would take five years for the tunnel, six years for the light-rail system, the report estimates.

The project is scheduled to receive EUR716.80 million (USD780 million) in Measure R funds, not enough to build the freeway tunnel or light rail alternatives. If either of those is selected as the preferred alternative, the study team will prepare a financial plan that will consider additional possible funding sources. For further details click here. Visit

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/resources/envdocs/docs/710study/draft_eir-eis/ and http://www.metro.net/projects/sr-710-conversations/. 11/15.