11:09am | Work is continuing on the Orange County Transit Authority’s (OCTA) West County Connectors project to renovate local freeway ramps on the 22/405/605 exchange, and the impact will certainly be felt in Long Beach.

While most of the work technically takes place in Orange County, the area under construction not only borders Long Beach – in some places it is within city limits – but will also affect traffic congestion due to detours and closed lanes. The OCTA expects to take more than two years to fully restore these freeway exchanges, with the goal of increasing their lifespans.

A variety of closures and delays will occur on the 22, 405 and 605 freeway exits and exchanges in the coming days and weeks, and commuters should plan to encounter slower speeds. In Long Beach, some residential signals will begin operating differently.

When the OCTA closes the 7th Street / Westbound 22 exit into Long Beach for more than one year for restoration, east side residential streets such as Studebaker and Palo Verde Avenue are expected to become a popular detour and will likely be very congested. In preparation for this, intersection signals will soon begin operating to accommodate increased traffic flow. The actual closure of the 7th Street / Westbound 22 exit will begin sometime late February or March.

Check out the full list of planned upcoming closures and construction for the West County Connectors project below:

EAST SEGMENT – Valley View St. to Seal Beach Blvd.

  • Southbound Valley View Street will be fully closed on Jan. 24 and 25 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for emergency restriping and signage installation. One lane will remain open in the northbound direction.
  • The Valley View Street and Garden Grove Blvd. intersection will be closed  on Jan. 24
  • Currently there is no pedestrian access on the Valley View Street / Bolsa Chica Road bridge during construction.
  • Construction crews are removing vegetation on the eastbound SR-22 north of Valley View Street. Residents have reported a strong odor in the removal area. Please be advised the odor will dissipate once the removal is complete.
  • Excavation of the Valley View Street loop on-ramp to the westbound SR-22 is ongoing.
  • The Valley View Street straight and loop on-ramps to the westbound SR-22 will be closed from midnight on Friday, Feb. 4 until Noon on Saturday, Feb. 5 to reconstruct a portion of the ramps.
  • Valley View Bridge demolition is tentatively scheduled for the week of February 21. The week prior, daytime work will take place behind the concrete barriers in preparation of the night demolition activities.


WEST SEGMENT – Seal Beach Blvd to I-605

  • Utility work will continue on the southbound I-405 Seal Beach Blvd. off-ramp intermittently through early February.  The # 2 lane of the off-ramp will be closed from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., weather permitting.
  • Nightly lane closures will be necessary intermittently between Seal Beach Blvd. and the I-605 through mid February. These closures will allow crews to complete removal of
  • Vegetation removal was postponed last week. It is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Jan. 26 and will continue intermittently as needed.
  • Caltrans is coordinating with Orange County Vector Control and the California Department of Fish and Game during the vegetation removal to address any rat or coyote concerns that may arise.
  • Northbound and southbound Seal Beach Blvd., between Old Ranch Parkway and Beverly Manor Drive, will be closed Jan.26 and 27 between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. for pavement restriping. Construction crews will create a temporary pedestrian walkway on the east side of the bridge.
  • Northbound I-405 / westbound SR-22 / 7th Street Connector is scheduled to close for 12 months in late February / early March. The exact date has not been set.
  • The Old Ranch Parkway on-ramp to the westbound SR-22 will close for 12 months  in late February / early March.   The exact date has not been set.
  • The City of Long Beach has begun implementing Studebaker Rd. and Palo Verde Ave. mitigation measures in preparation of the upcoming northbound I-405 / westbound SR-22 / 7th Street Connector closure. Signals along these detour routes will be modified to facilitate optimal traffic flow.