WSP Designs New Customer Service Center for Travelerson Southern California Express Lanes

WSP provided project management and design services to Orange County Transportation Authority for a new system, customer service and walk-in center for Interstate 405 motorists.

ORANGE, CALIFORNIA — WSP, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy, collaborated with Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to provide project management and design services for the 405 Express Lanes Customer Service and Walk-in Center, as well as its systems and operations.

OCTA opened the new 20,000 square-foot facility customer service and walk-in center in Costa Mesa late November for motorists traveling on the 405 Express Lanes in Orange County, California.

Designed in collaboration with OCTA, the center can support up to 100 employees performing customer service, information technology (IT), finance, management and other operational services.

“This facility provides reliable systems and services to create an enhanced experience for toll customers traveling on the 405 Express Lanes,” said Christopher Burke, a WSP senior vice president and national toll practice consultant, who served as the Express Lanes project manager.

The 405 Express Lanes were built by OCTA as part of its I-405 Improvement Project, which added one regular lane in each direction of I-405 between Costa Mesa and the Orange County border with Los Angeles County and created the 405 Express lanes – two lanes in each direction. Overall, the I-405 Improvement Project is improving the drive for everyone at all times of day, whether they choose to use the Express Lanes or regular lanes.

WSP also provided toll customer service operations and systems for the project, as well as program and quality management expertise for implementation of back-office support (BOS), which incorporates reliable technical systems and financial processes that improve customer experience for each motorist transaction.

“WSP developed an omni channel solution for OCTA, which allows customers to interact with customer service agents seamlessly using the communication channel they prefer,” Burke said. “It is a solution tailored to them and how they communicate, whether it is in person at the Walk-in Center, phone, chat, text or through social media via Facebook Messenger.”

The procurement required a 24-month delivery time and WSP met OCTA’s Dec. 1 go-live date.

“WSP delivered innovative and mission-critical IT services for this project, all from within a secure, multi-cloud environment,” said Patrick McGowan, senior vice president and mobility operations national market leader for WSP. “Our firm is honored to support long-term operations with innovations that are scalable and integrate the entire BOS, ensuring unified IT support and systems administration throughout the program.”

About WSP in the U.S.

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering, environment and professional services firms. Recognized in 2023 on TIME’s list of the world’s best companies and Fortune’s Change the World list, WSP is driving social impact and commitment to ESG. WSP in the U.S. brings together engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals who are dedicated to collaborate in the best interests of serving local communities. WSP designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With approximately 14,000 employees in 300 offices across the U.S., WSP partners with its clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com