Rush-hour drivers on two of Orange County’s most notorious freeway chokepoints are in for years of construction, with the promise of a smoother ride at the end. Global engineering firm Jacobs has been selected to manage construction for major upgrades on both SR‑91 between La Palma and SR‑55 and I‑5 between I‑405 and Yale Avenue, putting the company at the center of lane additions, bridge work and interchange overhauls aimed at easing chronic congestion on the busy freight and commuter corridors.
What Jacobs Will Do
According to Jacobs, the SR‑91 Improvement Project between La Palma and SR‑55 will add a new eastbound general‑purpose lane, widen several bridges and reconstruct interchanges along a stretch that already carries more than 300,000 vehicles a day. The firm will also provide construction management services for the I‑5 Improvement Project between I‑405 and Yale Avenue, a segment that handles average daily traffic of more than 275,000 vehicles.
"These projects are essential to improving mobility in one of the nation's most congested regions," Jacobs Executive Vice President Eva Wood said in the company’s announcement.
Scope, Cost And Timeline
The Orange County Transportation Authority pegs the I‑5 work as an approximately $716 million program that will add lanes and upgrade interchanges, with construction expected to wrap by 2030. OCTA reports that funding will come from a mix of Measure M sales‑tax revenue, reinvested 91 Express Lanes tolls and state and federal contributions.
OCTA and Caltrans officials have framed the I‑5 improvements as a long‑term investment in safety, reliability and the region’s economic growth, arguing that better traffic flow will help keep both commuters and goods moving.
Jacobs' Business Context
The new Orange County assignments arrive as Jacobs reports what it calls a record backlog and a strengthened financial outlook. Per Jacobs, backlog climbed to about $27.0 billion in its fiscal second quarter, up roughly 22% from a year earlier.
Analyst summaries and company call notes covered by Yahoo Finance show that management has raised its fiscal 2026 organic net revenue guidance to about 8% to 10.5%. The initial freeway project announcement did not disclose the value of the contracts, according to Investing.com.
What Drivers Should Expect
In the short term, drivers can expect more orange cones than free‑flowing lanes. OCTA has already scheduled intermittent closures and traffic shifts as crews add lanes and rebuild ramps. SR‑91 work has included a 55‑hour closure and a series of temporary detours earlier this year, according to OCTA.
The agency is urging motorists to follow posted detours closely and to sign up for project alerts via its website to avoid surprises. As work ramps up across both freeways, Jacobs will be responsible for coordinating contractors, overseeing schedules and managing safety monitoring along the two corridors.
For commuters, the long game is less time trapped in bumper‑to‑bumper traffic and safer trips on two of Orange County’s busiest freeways, but those benefits will arrive only after several years of phased construction and intermittent closures. OCTA and Jacobs say the upgrades are designed to bolster the local economy by improving both freight reliability and daily commuter travel.
