Orange County, California

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) selected OC 405 Partners to design and construct the I-405 Improvement Project (Project).  Hout Construction Services, Inc., is providing Design-Build Coordination and Financial Business Management Services on the project. 

Key elements of this approximate 16-mile widening project include: 

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•    Addition of a general-purpose lane in each direction of I-405 from Euclid St to the I-405/I-605 Interchange.

•    Addition of a tolled express lane in each direction from SR-73 to SR-22.

•    Addition of auxiliary lanes in the NB direction at Euclid St off-ramp; and from Seal Beach Blvd on-ramp to the WB SR-22/7th Street off-ramp.

•    Extension of existing SB auxiliary lane from Harbor Blvd off-ramp to Euclid St on-ramp.

•    Removal of SB auxiliary lane from Beach Blvd to Magnolia St off-ramp.

•    Reconfiguration of interchanges and ramps comprised of 23 new or replacement crossroad/ramp bridges, one pedestrian bridge, and seven bridge widenings on I-405.

•    New, modified or replaced structures, including two overhead railroad crossings.

•    New and upgraded drainage facilities.

•    Pavement construction and revised delineation.

•    Tolling infrastructure.

•    Coordination with utility owners for relocation of known utilities.

Client: Orange County Transportation Authority

Mr. Hout developed this $113 million interchange by providing project and construction management services to make sure the project was completed on time and within budget. The project included the reconfiguration of the freeway to freeway connectors, addition of collector/distributor roads to eliminate weaving problems, and a new interchange at Bake Parkway.

Mr. Hout acted as the Design Director during the design phase of the project, and as Project Director during construction. He received ACSE’s Project of the Year Award.

Client: City of Irvine

Mr. Hout served as principal-in-charge for the independent review of the proposed mitigation measures and cost estimates for 18 projects throughout the City of Irvine as part of the North Irvine Transportation Mitigation program. Projects were located on Jamboree Road, Bake Parkway, Culver Drive, Alton Parkway, Irvine Center Drive, Sand Canyon, Alicia Parkway, and various off-ramps along Interstate 5 and Interstate 405. These projects were completed under the on-call contract with the City of Irvine on time and within budget. The program constructed more than $50 million of transportation improvements. 

Client: Orange County Transportation Authority

Mr. Hout was responsible for the design and construction of numerous segments of the 47-mile stretch of I-5 from Pacific Coast Highway in San Juan Capistrano to the Los Angeles/Orange County line. The $1.9 billion project was one of the largest and most complex public works projects ever undertaken in Orange County.

Mr. Hout acted as the Design Director during the design phase of the project, and as Project Director during construction. He received ACSE’s Project of the Year Award.

Client: Orange County Transportation Authority

Mr. Hout was responsible for design and construction of 14 miles of freeway reconstruction on State Route 91 (SR 91). Primary features included addition of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes between State Route 55 and the Los Angeles County line; the reconfiguration of the interchange of SR 91 and State Route 57; and the reconstruction and widening of all bridges in that stretch of highway. 

Client: Valencia Company/Caltrans District

Mr. Hout was responsible for the construction of the $20 million Interchange of Valencia Boulevard with I-5. The project replaced the existing two-lane bridge with a new seven-lane bridge, as well as reconstructed all northbound and southbound on and off ramps. As project director, Mr. Hout provided leadership to the construction management team that was able to complete construction and close-out the project without claims in just 16 months.

Client: Orange County Transportation Authority

Sam supervised a comprehensive study on the corridor between SR-55 and SR-57 to determine preliminary design, operational characteristics, and overall feasibility for adding road capacity. Continued improvements for the SR-55 and SR-91 freeway interchange complex are being explored, as well as an evaluation of overall road capacity needs between the two major interchanges.

Client: Orange County Transportation Authority

Sam served as principal-in-charge for this project to design a continuous access feature along the I-405 freeway. This design will allow commuters to enter and exit at will in the existing HOV lane between the SR-73 toll road and I-5 interchanges. HOV connectors are also being elongated from 50:1 to 115:1 to further help with traffic build up. This approach will increase mobility, reduce traffic, and improve public safety.

Client: University of California

As project director, Mr. Hout led the design and construction team for this Design-Build project including a new roadway system along Anteater Drive; the extension of California Avenue; signalized intersections at Culver Drive/Bonita Canyon and Shady Canyon; and signing and striping, curb and gutter, storm drain facilities, bicycle path, landscaping and irrigation, street lighting, and utilities. The team provided design and construction services including the preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E). This $12 million construction project was completed within budget and ahead of schedule and with no claims.