I-15 Corridor Improvement Project Overview

Project Oveview

Working to improve traffic capacity and operations on Interstate 15 (I-15), the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 8 are exploring widening the highway from just north of the I-15/ I-215 separation near Murrieta, northward to State Route 60 (SR-60) near Ontario.

The project includes the study of two build alternatives and a no build alternative. Build Alternative 1 proposes to add one Carpool (HOV) lane and one regular or general purpose lane in each direction from SR-74 to SR-60 and one HOV Lane from I-215 to SR-74. The widening of this facility will occur by utilizing the unpaved center median whenever possible. Build Alternative 2 will add two Tolled Express lanes and one general purpose lane in each direction from SR-74 to SR-60 and one HOV Lane from I-215 to SR-74.

The proposed I-15 Corridor Improvement Project (CIP) stretches approximately 44 miles in length, traveling through Murrieta, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Corona, Norco and portions of unincorporated Riverside County. As an element of RCTC’s 10-year western county highway delivery plan, the project currently has an estimated construction cost of $1.7 to $2.5 billion.

Objectives

• Reduce traffic delays and travel time.


• Provide selected interchange ramp improvements.


• Implement improvements consistent with the RCTC 2009 Measure A 10-Year Delivery Plan.


• Reduce air pollution from stop-and-go traffic.


• Accommodate the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) National Network for trucks.


• Providing capacity and congestion relief.

Alternatives

The I-15 Corridor Improvement Project will consider multiple build alternatives along with a no build alternative. The alternatives identified to date include the following:

Click the picture to enlarge the image.

What Are The Environmental Considerations?

• Community impacts
• Roadway drainage
• Construction impacts
• Protected and endangered species
• Parks, reserves, and natural resources
• Traffic and transportation
• Visual
• Air quality
• Noise
• Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) Linkage
• Business and residential impacts

What Are HOV Lanes?

The central concept of the HOV lane, or carpool lane, is to move more people rather than more cars. Each vehicle that travels on an HOV lane must carry the minimum number of people designated for each lane (2 or 3).Some HOV lanes carry almost half of the people carried on the entire freeway.

What Are Tolled Express Lanes?

Enlarge image

Tolled Express Lanes are dedicated lanes with limited entrances and exits that provide travel time savings and trip reliability, as well as congestion relief in the general purpose lanes. The toll rate policy will be developed by RCTC and will be compatible with the current toll system used on State Route 91 in Orange County.

Contact