The idea of building a tunnel though the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest to ease traffic is supported by 52% of voters polled in the northern coastal part of Orange County, according to a recent poll.
The poll of 400 voters during the first week of April showed that a third of respondents were opposed to the tunnel while 15% said they were unsure about it, said Adam D. Probolsky, pollster and president of Laguna Hills-based Probolsky Research, which did the survey.
The results were very similar to a South County poll done in early February in which 54% said they supported the tunnel, 37% said they were opposed and 9% were unsure.
That poll asked 300 voters in South County whether they supported building a tunnel through the mountains.
“It shows that there is broad support for a new roadway and driving solutions,” Probolsky said. “It doesn’t matter if you live in San Clemente or Seal Beach.”
No decision has been made to build the 12-mile tunnel, which could start at Interstate 15 and Cajalco Road in Riverside County and emerge east of Irvine at the 241 and 133 toll roads.
The tunnel, which some consider a political long shot, would connect people in the Inland Empire with their jobs in Orange County.
The Orange County Transportation Authority and other regional transportation agencies are studying a handful of proposals to ease traffic between OC and the Inland Empire, including the tunnel and expanding the Riverside (91) Freeway.
