A turf war between California’s transportation department and San Diego Gas & Electric and other utilities is delaying work on a freeway interchange at Interstate 15 that serves Pechanga Resort & Casino and other tourist destinations in Riverside County.
Frequently cars are backed up for miles on the Temecula Parkway southbound off ramp, which then creates a chain of events that causes massive gridlock on the interstate.
A new $50 million off ramp paid for by the city of Temecula would create a cloverleaf to take cars to Temecula Parkway without first going through traffic signs or lights, thus speeding up the freeway exit. However the project itself has encountered gridlock created by a tiff between Caltrans and the utilities over how the utility lines will be moved to make room for the interchange. Complicating matters are environmental plans in place to preserve land as open space for multiple species.
Once those issues are resolved, says the city’s public works department, the project can go to bid. Maybe next year, it says.
The freeway project has multiple funding sources, including some from the federal government, some from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund, some from the County and some from regional transportation fees.
