Pile driving to start along North Gate Road

OCTA

Residents on the north end of Leisure World—especially those in Mutuals 10, 11 and 16—will likely bear the brunt of elevated noise and vibration due to a pile driving job that is set to start as early as tomorrow, Feb. 25.

Pile driving is necessary to construct the foundation for the sound wall along southbound I-405 along North Gate Road. Work will be underway from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and will continue on weekdays and Saturdays if needed for approximately one month. Forty-five piles will be used to support the sound wall.

Pile driving is a commonly used method of constructing structure foundations. To support the structure, steel or concrete beams or “piles” are driven into the soil until reaching a hard layer of earth beneath the structure foundation.

The North Gate sound wall is being replaced as part of Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) I-405 Improvement Project. There is a lot of related construction work occurring near Leisure World now as crews continue to make progress on the I-405 widening.

Last week, the area near North Gate Road was prepared for the pile driving. Workers potholed or excavated small holes at the south end of North Gate Road.

Excavation and shoring continued all week in advance of the pile driving.

Some LW residents have reported hearing more noise of late. It may have emanated from construction at the nearby Seal Beach on-ramp or a different activity, such as adjusting the k-rail, or concrete barrier that separates drivers from the construction zones.

OCTA understands that living near construction is never easy and thanks residents for their patience as it continues making improvements to the 405 Freeway and nearby streets and ramps. The project is scheduled to be complete next year.

For more information about the project, visit www.octa. net/405Improvement.

To sign up for construction alerts specific to the area near Leisure World, visit bit.ly/405LeisureWorld.

Crews prepare site to drive piles.