A series of meetings and public hearings have taken place this week as outreach to the public for the Environmental Impact Report being prepared for the I-710 Corridor project.

The draft EIR for the $5 billion project is being circulated now, with comments due by Aug. 29. There have been requests to extend the comment period, but so far Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation) has declined.

The Long Beach series of meetings began Sunday at a meeting of the North Long Beach Community Action Group. Representatives from Caltrans, Metro (the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) and URS Corporation, the project consultant, were on hand to provide an overview and answer questions.