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For more information contact: Brendi Rawlin, Porter Novelli, 619-549-3066
IT'S FINALLY HERE! RESIDENTS AND OFFICIALS CELEBRATE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED GROUNDBREAKING FOR SR 125 SOUTH
State-of-the-Art Toll Road Will Complete Missing Link in San Diego Freeway System.
San Diego, Calif. (September 12, 2003) - California Transportation Ventures (CTV) today hosted the official groundbreaking for the southernmost portion of State Route 125 South (SR 125 South), a 9.3-mile technologically advanced toll road that will run from SR 54 in Spring Valley to SR 905 near the Otay Mesa International Border Crossing. The expansion of SR 125 has been part of California's planned freeway system since 1959, and part of SANDAG's Regional Transportation Plan, which lays out the region's projects through the year 2030.
The highlight of the ceremony was the keynote speech presented by U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta who flew in from Washington D.C. to address the standing-room only crowd on the significance of the public-private partnership responsible for getting the SR 125 South built now. Without the partnership, the project would have taken at least another decade.
"The SR 125 project brings together a creative public-private partnership that will bring important benefits to the San Diego region," Secretary Mineta said. "By working together at federal, state and community levels, we have achieved a long-term goal of reducing congestion while also contributing to cleaner air, strengthening the economy and employing the latest technology."
Today's ceremony drew more than 250 attendees, including community leaders, elected officials and representatives from local, state and federal government who came together to celebrate the significant benefits SR 125 South will bring to the region. California Senator Denise Ducheny, Assemblywoman Shirley Horton and Chula Vista Mayor Steve Padilla were all featured speakers at the momentous event.
Speakers discussed how by improving regional mobility in the South Bay, SR 125 South will boost national and international commerce, providing increased access for residents and businesses to the employment centers on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border.
SR 125 South has long been hailed as a missing link in San Diego's freeway network. Its completion will reduce traffic congestion on surface streets in Chula Vista and Bonita as well as on Interstates 5 and 805. The highway will serve as an essential transportation asset to the already planned and approved communities under construction in the South Bay.
As Chula Vista Mayor Steve Padilla told the crowd, "Finally, our residents will get the relief they've been waiting for. We're a rapidly growing city in need of transportation alternatives, and SR 125 is going to ease traffic congestion throughout the region. It's no longer an option-it's a vital link in the county's transportation network."
Forecasts show that Chula Vista residents traveling on the new SR 125 South to reach Otay Mesa will reduce their drive time by up to 75 percent. The highway will improve traffic flow and air quality because of reduced auto emissions.
Motorists traveling the new highway will be able to take advantage of the latest in high tech toll collection, which allows for tolls to be paid while driving at highway speeds using a FasTrak"®" electronic transponder mounted on their vehicle.
SR 125 South has been made possible through a unique public/private partnership among the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and California Transportation Ventures. At $138.58 million, funding for the Gap/Connector portion of the project (a 3.2-mile section of highway running from SR 54 to San Miguel Road in Bonita) will come from federal funds matched with SANDAG's highly successful TransNet local transportation sales tax revenues, a half-cent local sales tax that generated $32 million alone for the project.
National City Councilman Ron Morrison, chairman of SANDAG, said, "The 125 South highway will benefit South Bay residents for years to come and immediately help commuters get to their jobs in our growing binational region."
For more information, please contact Brendi Rawlin at 619-549-3066 or brendi.rawlin@porternovelli.com.
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