Toll Road Battle Continues Next Week

Are Mission Viejo drivers suffering from the lack of a toll road extension?

A battle over the fate of the 241 toll road extension continues next week at a San Diego water board hearing. In the past, proposals to extend the road to the I-5 south of San Clemente have been thwarted by activists.

The board may require builders to monitor water quality near the site if the project is approved, along with other requirements.

The Surfrider foundation, who boasts of organizing the "largest turn-out for a public hearing in State (sic) history" to stop the extension in 2008 is drawing supporters to the June 19 daytime meeting. They say they will hand out t-shirts and signs to toll-road opponents.

"If the first section of road is built, the 'dominos' will fall and the rest of the road will be built down to San Onofre/Trestles," the foundation's website says.

Mission Viejo's Wendy Bucknum, head of the South Orange County Economic Coalition, plans to be there Wednesday to promote the extension.

She said without a toll road extension, Mission Viejo drivers have to fight for space with commuters traveling through town, especially on thoroughfares like Alicia, Crown Valley and Oso.

Though commuters bring business to local shops, the negative impacts outweigh the benefits, Bucknum said.

Over 200 attended last month's water control board meeting on the same topic.