BEAUMONT, CA — The start of construction on the second half of a major interchange upgrade in Beaumont was officially underway Tuesday after a groundbreaking ceremony at the site.
Officials from the city, Riverside County Transportation Commission and other agencies gathered for the "Route 60/Potrero Boulevard Interchange Phase Two" commencement, at the northeast corner of the intersection of Potrero and Western Knolls Avenue.
RCTC said the second half of the $56 million interchange expansion will include widening Potrero from four to six lanes where it crosses Western Knolls and the 60 Freeway, reconfiguring the interchange into a "six-ramp partial cloverleaf" design and other improvements along Potrero and Western Knolls.
Phase One was completed in 2019 by contractors hired by the city and focused mainly on expanding and resurfacing Potrero around the project area.
The second and final phase is expected to wrap up before the end of 2028, according to RCTC.
The agency said that the project will improve freeway access, reduce congestion on the west end of Beaumont, facilitate further commercial and residential construction in the San Gorgonio Pass, and improve air quality through reduced congestion.
A mix of local and state funds are covering the project's costs, including revenue from countywide transportation uniform mitigation fees, Senate Bill 1 Road Repair & Accountability Act appropriations and municipal capital improvement revenue. Funding sources include the City of Beaumont Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funds, Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF), and SB1 Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) Program funding.
Additional information is available at rctc.org/projects/potrero-interchange/.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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