OHLA, through its subsidiary OHLA USA, has reached a progress rate of 96% on the I-405 highway improvement project in Orange County, California. Awarded for close to €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion), this is one of the largest and most significant infrastructure contracts underway in the Western U.S.

The project, executed by a joint venture led by OHLA USA, covers the design and fast-track construction of 25 km of two new lanes in each direction of the interstate highway in Orange County.

In total, 18 bridges have been demolished and reconstructed, and an additional 18 bridges were either built or widened. The company has also undertaken the construction of most of the retaining walls and the installation of almost all of the soundproofing walls. In addition, several bridges have been completed and reopened to the public and about 60 ramps have been reconstructed.

To meet the planned schedule with the Orange County Transportation Authority and the California Department of Transportation, the project team has employed advanced traffic management technologies that include the use of historical data along with real-time traffic monitoring. This, in turn, has made it possible to schedule activities at times that had the least impact on traffic in nearby communities.

Among the sustainability objectives achieved during the development of the project, which is expected to be completed in 2023, is the recycling of 710,000 tons of concrete, which has been reused for the base layer of the new road.

United States, a reference market for OHLA

The United States is one of OHLA’s main markets, along with Latin America and Europe. In 2021, the company won new awards worth more than $1.378 billion (€1.15 billion) with contracts as prominent as the I-5 North Capacity Enhancements Project in California and the rehabilitation of the West 79th Street traffic circle, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2022, the company was awarded the Purple Line Light Rail project in Maryland, as part of a consortium, for an overall amount of €2.17 billion ($2.3 billion), the company’s largest project in the country.