When will 10 highways be built from the desert to the 60? – Orange County Registry

Q: Hemet’s Kathy Reid asked when construction of the 10 freeway from the desert to the 60 would be complete. Signs at the exits state June 2020 to September 2022, she said.

A: The project our reader is referring to is known as the I-10 Tune Up. This road rehabilitation project started in February 2020 and is expected to be completed in December this year. “So far, the project is actually on schedule and should be completed by December 2022 or January 2023,” said Emily Leinen, spokeswoman for Caltrans District 8. She said Caltrans will ask the contractor to update the signs. Here is the website where readers can also find out about the work done:

Q: Hemet’s Ella Collins said she’s lived in the San Jacinto Valley for 32 years and even though the population has grown immensely, “we’re still driving on these two-lane roads. They’re getting more and more congested and dangerous for everyone.” Collins asked for an update on the proposed Mid County Parkway from Perris to San Jacinto.

A: These big projects take time, and this one is progressing (though probably not as fast as our readers would like).

Here’s a basic overview from the Riverside County Transportation Commission. The Mid County Parkway is a 16-mile transit corridor planned between San Jacinto and Perris to improve access, increase safety and reduce travel times. The Parkway will connect to Highway 79, Freeway 215, and bus and rail facilities supporting Metrolink’s 91/Perris Valley line.

RCTC on September 14 approved a contract to prepare construction documentation for an 8.6 mile section of the Mid County Parkway. A proposed section extends 8.6 miles along the Ramona Expressway, approximately one mile east of Rider Street to Warren Road, within the 16-mile Mid County Parkway corridor.

The Ramona Expressway segment currently has one lane in each direction, with a passing lane between Fifth Street and Bridge Street. Planned improvements here include two lanes of traffic in each direction, an elevated median to separate eastbound and westbound lanes, a new bridge over the San Jacinto River, the modification of three intersections with traffic lights, the installation of a new signalized intersection, and the construction of one Animal Crossing Help the animals not to get hit on the road.

Last spring, the RCTC postponed the final design of a previously identified 3-mile segment from Redlands Avenue to the Ramona Expressway to meet safety requirements along the 8.6-mile segment of the Ramona Expressway, which has a history of vehicle collisions. According to the RCTC, Riverside County reported 31 collisions there between 2017 and 2022, killing 14.

If funding is secured, construction could begin in 2025 and take about two years. The RCTC has not yet finalized the timeline for construction of the other Mid County Parkway segments. That will depend on funding.

Construction of the 215 Freeway Placentia Avenue Interchange in Perris, the first MCP segment, began in August 2020 and is scheduled to open this fall. Here is the project website for details: