Orange County will get $65 million for...

Orange County will get $65 million for highway projects and $8.6

million for transit projects in a $284-billion federal transportation

bill approved by the House on Thursday.

Such a bill is usually passed every six years, but the last one

expired in 2003 and Congress has simply passed extensions since then.

Projects that would likely benefit Newport-Mesa drivers most

include $3.2 million to add one lane in each direction to the San

Diego Freeway from Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach to the Corona

del Mar Freeway, $10 million for a Foothill Transportation Corridor

extension, and $19.7 million to study and build tunnels to link

Orange and Riverside counties.

The bill must still be passed by the Senate and signed by

President Bush.