Supervisor Wants County Control Over Highway 74 Between Lake Elsinore, Perris

The Board of Supervisors Tuesday authorized the Riverside County Department of Transportation to draw up a proposal for the county to take over management of a roughly eight-mile segment of state Route 74 between Lake Elsinore and Perris.

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries has been pushing for county acquisition of portions of the highway since March, insisting that local authorities could do a better job than Caltrans of addressing problems along the corridor.

Jeffries, whose First District encompasses the area, has said that the communities of Good Hope and Meadowbrook are growing, but obtaining easements and other improvements along SR 74 is a frustrating process because of how slow the state moves.

The supervisor said he is mainly interested in the stretch of highway that spans from Interstate 15 to Interstate 215.

“This route does not serve regional or statewide transportation needs, and therefore, should be given consideration to be relinquished by the state to the county,” Jeffries wrote.

He noted that the portion of the 74 that traverses Perris had been turned over to that city for maintenance and management, and that legislation had been enacted enabling the cities of Lake Elsinore and Palm Desert to do the same if they desired.

If the part of the 74 that connects Lake Elsinore and Perris is turned over to the county, it will become a county road and no longer be characterized as a highway.

Formal relinquishment will require a vote of the Legislature.

— By City News Service.

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