373. Route 73 is from Route 5 near San Juan Capistrano to Route 405
via the San Joaquin Hills.
MacArthur Boulevard from Route 1 near Corona del Mar to San Diego
Creek in Irvine shall cease to be a state highway when the Route 73
freeway as described above is completed.
Route 73 from MacArthur Blvd to Route 5, heading southward, has been
completed. The last segment was opened somewhere in November 1996. Currently
this year's Thomas Guide for Orange County (where the route is located) still
has that portion of MacArthur Blvd signed as Route 73.
Entire route. [CS&HC 253.1]
Entire route.
The part from Route 5 northward to MacArthur Bl is called
the "San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor" (cheesy, huh). The part from
MacArthur Bl to Route 405 is called the "Corona Del Mar Freeway" (much better).
The so-called San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor is a tollway,
which in California is usually considered an obsolete and pointless idea.
But there were some around the state many years ago. (Sears Point Road
carrying Route 37 might have been one.) As for this toll road, it's the second
one in a series of toll roads to be completed in Orange County. Others
include Route 133 from Route 5 to Route 241, Route 241, and Route 261.
The maximum toll for Route 73 in its entirety for a two-axle vehicle is
$2.25. For more information, visit the Transportation Corridor Agencies page.
UC Irvine is on MacArthur Blvd and then on University Drive heading east.
In the case of heading southward, you exit on University Drive and make a left.
Give the route a better name for the tollway. The one in use now may
not attract many cars onto the road; It may be too technical. I noticed
that as I was heading toward Tijuana at night, the tollway was literally
empty! (This was in January.) I also noticed that the sign pointing the
lanes leading to the toll road said "SJHTC TOLL ROAD". What kind of
an exit name is that? Thank goodness, however, that the folks at TCA
recognized this error. Now that sign reads "Long Beach via TOLL ROAD,"
which sounds much more reasonable, since it is a much faster way to get to
Route 405 past the El Toro "Y", through Costa Mesa, and eventually into
Long Beach.
But I do believe that the electronic tollway on Route 91 has sent a
bad and misleading message about tollways here. Route 73 is not like that.
It's one of those tollways where you just give your $2.25 to the toll booth
and drive off; there's no high-tech equipment or the such on this tollway.
It's a normal one like most others.
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