BUENA PARK

The section of Western Avenue that rises over the Santa Ana Freeway may get a little higher because the freeway and street are too close together to meet safety standards. State officials are considering raising the Western Avenue stretch between 8th Street and Manchester Boulevard by about 5 feet, officials said this week.

Federal guidelines require adequate clearance between freeways and roads so trucks can pass safely. Don Jensen, the city’s director of public works, said the state usually first considers making changes to the freeway, which is why officials proposed lowering the freeway. The state ditched that idea because it would be easier to reconstruct the overpass.