14: The Coastal Freeway: A Concrete Monster Almost Unleashed on Newport

In 1970, the Newport Beach City Council and California Department
of Highways signed an agreement to build a coastal freeway—12
lanes wide in places—that would run through the heart of Newport
and include a five-level interchange at MacArthur Boulevard and
East Coast Highway. The route had been decided upon, funding was
in place, and the Coastal Freeway appeared to be a fait
accompli.  But then, the Freeway Fighters of the Harbor Area
came to the rescue.