One-Year Ramp Closure Begins

SANTA ANA —  A key transition ramp linking the Garden Grove and Santa Ana freeways was shut Tuesday for a one-year period for rebuilding of the intersection, causing confusion for many motorists.

But the monumental traffic jam feared by authorities failed to materialize.

State transportation officials said freeway congestion was actually less severe than usual Tuesday afternoon at the freeway connector leading into the so-called Orange Crush intersection, a traffic-choked knot of concrete connecting the Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Orange freeways.

“It’s much better than typical,” said Joe El-Harake, a Caltrans spokesman. “People seem to be finding their way around the closure.”

The transition lanes leading from the eastbound Garden Grove to the southbound Santa Ana were closed at 9:30 a.m. as construction crews prepared to rebuild the intersection to make way for widening work on Interstate 5.