Traffic relief for Temecula’s south end of town is on its way! On Tuesday, June 6th the City of Temecula broke ground on the long-awaited Interstate 15 / State Route 79 South (Temecula Parkway) Ultimate Interchange project. The project will reconfigure the on and off ramps to/from southbound I-15. A new auxiliary lane and continuous movement looping off-ramp will allow southbound motorists to exit southbound I-15 and head east on Temecula Parkway without stopping. The new onramp to southbound I-15 will align with Old Town Front Street. Improvements also include widening Temecula Parkway between Bedford Court and the freeway, as well as making improvements to the northbound on and off ramps.
“This is a long awaited and much needed infrastructure project that will reduce congestion in Temecula, and will make way for increased economic development. It will smooth access to business and retail commerce located on Temecula Parkway and provide faster access to emergency and health services at Temecula Valley Hospital.” says Temecula Mayor Maryann Edwards.
Once completed, the project will improve traffic flow entering and exiting the freeway, by eliminating the ever-present line of vehicles waiting to exit southbound I-15 and by throttling traffic entering the freeway with ramp meters and HOV lanes added to the on ramps.
The total project cost is estimated to be just under $50.7M. Funding for construction comes from several sources including Federal SAFETEA-LU funds, Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds, Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) funds, and nearly $14.5M from the Pechanga Tribe through SB621.
Construction is estimated to take 18 months to complete. The improvements will be constructed in phases to keep traffic flowing through the project site. In an effort to keep residents and motorists informed of traffic pattern changes and progress, project status updates will be issued via the City’s Facebook page, the project website at 1579south.info and the project hotline at (866) 679-4900.
