Caltrans recently released changes to its Airspace Lease program for properties under, over and next to state highway structures. These changes will help protect the public and the state’s infrastructure and include ending open storage leases, increasing liability insurance coverage, barring the construction of new permanent buildings and prohibiting flammable materials.

Since the November 2023 arson fire under Interstate 10 in Los Angeles, Caltrans and the State Fire Marshal have been thoroughly reviewing the Airspace Lease program, which allows specific areas on state rights of way to be leased to tenants, to identify uses that reduce the risk to the public and infrastructure. The programmatic changes announced Friday, Nov. 8 are in addition to the risk mitigation measures implemented immediately after the I-10 fire as well as those identified in a February 6, 2024, memo from Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.

Caltrans will continue to work with its current tenants as it implements the program changes. Caltrans is committed to protecting the safety of the traveling public and sustaining the integrity of the highway infrastructure. It will review other recommendations as its assessment of the airspace leasing program continues.