The $184 million Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) project, a partnership between the City of Anaheim and the Orange County Transportation Authority, broke ground this week.

The ARTIC is expected to create 5,000 jobs during and following construction and will allow people to move seamlessly between transit services to reach Southern California activity centers and business districts.

Upon completion anticipated for late 2014, those utilizing ARTIC in their commute and travel plans will be greeted by a 67,000 square foot, iconic structure standing 110 feet tall, on 16 acres, within the shadows of Angel Stadium of Anaheim and Honda Center. Designed to provide service for the more than 40 million visitors to Anaheim and Orange County each year as well as Orange County’s three million residents, ARTIC is also planned for future modes of transportation services, as well as retail, restaurant and office space, truly making it a multi-purpose civic space.

According to the Orange County Business Council, research indicates traffic congestion costs California $20 billion per year in wasted fuel and lost time. Upon completion of ARTIC, existing public transportation options in and around Anaheim, Orange County and beyond can expand, thereby reducing vehicle congestion, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. To accommodate the projected increase in commuters and travelers, ARTIC will house approximately 1,000 parking spaces, a railroad bridge, a pedestrian concourse bridge and tunnel, a baggage tunnel, rail station platforms, as well as aesthetically pleasing environmentally friendly landscaping and artwork depictive of life in Southern California.

ARTIC’s three-level terminal building is designed for LEED Platinum certification. The steel framing, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof system (the same material as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Water Cube Aquatics Center) and glass cladding will provide for maximum energy efficiency. ARTIC will house 10 different transportation modes when it opens, including Metrolink, Amtrak, OCTA bus service, taxi, bicycle, international buses and tour and charter buses.