Funding Secured For I-15 Railroad Canyon Road Interchange Project

From the City of Lake Elsinore: After regional planners conceived of the project 18 years ago, the overhaul of the Interstate 15 and Railroad Canyon Road interchange Project is now fully funded and moving toward construction.

The Railroad Canyon Road and I-15 Interchange is a significant regional transportation corridor, serving the cities of Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Canyon Lake and the County of Riverside. Due to continuous growth in the area, for many years this interchange has faced increased traffic congestion and unnecessary delays for travelers. The current design can no longer adequately serve the community.

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) last week approved $2.7 billion in grants for 64 projects statewide from the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, popularly known as the transportation infrastructure gas tax bill, i.e. Senate Bill 1 (SB 1). This includes $15 million toward construction of the first phase of the I-15/Railroad Canyon Road & Franklin Interchange Project.

The second phase would create a new interchange near Franklin Street between Railroad Canyon and Main Street to the northwest, which is slated for development in approximately 2035.

The project was nominated by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC). The $15 million award will be supplemented by $17 million from the Western Riverside Council of Governments’ (WRCOG) Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) program and completes the acquisition of the $35 million needed to construct this project. The project which will widen Railroad Canyon Road under the freeway; expand the southbound entrance ramp to three lanes; add a northbound deceleration lane; and install northbound “hook” on- and off-ramps connecting to Grape Street, which is parallel to I-15’s northeast side and intersects with Railroad Canyon Road. View design.

“It’s finally happening, and relief is on its way,” said Lake Elsinore City Councilmember Bob Magee and RCTC Commissioner. “I’ve worked for years on the transportation commission to obtain funding for this project,” said Magee, now in his fourth term on the council.

In September, RCTC also approved $2.9 million of 2018 State Transportation Improvement Program funding for the construction.

“This project now has full construction funding, and we’re ready to move forward,” said Brad Fagrell, City Engineer.

This project was originally initiated by the City in April 2000. In 2004 and 2005, interim improvements were made to the interchange to improve operation and circulation. Since October 2013, the City has been tirelessly working with RCTC and Caltrans to expedite this project. Barring legislative repeal of the controversial gas tax bill, reconstruction of the I-15/Railroad Canyon interchange should begin by 2020 and be completed in 2022.

The project is currently in the Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) and right-of-way acquisition phase.

The City studied and considered several alternatives and has decided to proceed with Alternative 2 for this phase of the project. The City is working with stakeholder to minimize impacts to the businesses during all phases of the project.

Meanwhile, the City is preparing to start a related roadway project in the next year — the extension of Camino del Norte, which intersects with Main Street just north of the I-15/Main junction. The extension of Camino del Norte will connect Main Street and Railroad Canyon Road without requiring motorists to use the freeway.

“Our plan is to have this project complete before we start this interchange improvement,” Fagrell said. “It is essential to create an alternate route to reduce impacts of the Railroad Canyon project during construction.”

The I-15/Railroad Canyon junction experiences the heaviest congestion during school and rush hour traffic when vehicles often back up from traffic signals onto freeway lanes. On the opposite side of the freeway, Railroad Canyon becomes Diamond Drive, conveying vehicles to Lake Elsinore’s namesake lake, the Lake Elsinore Casino and The Diamond stadium, home to the Class A Minor-League Baseball team, the Lake Elsinore Storm.

Information on the I-15/Railroad Canyon project can be viewed at www.lake-elsinore.org/RRCynInterchange.

Image via City of Lake Elsinore