Roadside trash, commuter headaches on county officials' radar

The misplaced deli case in the middle of White Road off Baxter in Wildomar made an interesting addition to the obstacle course for drivers taking the unbeaten path toward their homes. The mini-travel trailer filled with construction debris up to the inside roof was hard to miss a few feet away. A collection of old tires were scattered here and there. Fortunately, their appearance was short-lived.

Fed up with the whims of illegal dumping enthusiasts who ditch unwanted trash, abandoned appliances, stolen cars and discarded tree trimmings, the county of Riverside Board of Supervisors told staff to remove the trash in a countywide cleanup during the last couple of months, according to Deputy Director of Transportation Juan Perez during the transportation update at the Wildomar Town Hall meeting on Saturday, November 18.

Nineteen tons of debris was collected off White/Baxter Roads, 53 tons were removed from the Lost Road area and 206 tons were taken from the Cherry Street/Bundy Canyon area in a total of about 560 tons overall in primarily the First District communities.

County staff is not only charged with cleaning up roadside litter but also uses surveillance cameras to catch illegal dumping in the act, Perez said.

County efforts to relieve the everyday traffic woes of commuters are also beginning to hit their stride. Development impact fees or the county of Riverside’s Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee program is helping to subsidize numerous road and circulation improvements in Wildomar, Perez explained to the audience.

Upcoming transportation projects include a $20 million upgrade to the Clinton Keith/I-15 interchange, which is planned to start in early 2008 and take approximately 14 months to complete.

The ambitious yearlong project to widen the six-mile stretch of Bundy Canyon Road/Scott Road between the I-15 and I-215 freeways from the curvy two-lane road to a four-lane thoroughfare with traffic signals is scheduled to begin in early 2008 at a cost of $30 million, according to Perez. “It’s probably the longest [road] highway-wise but very urgently needed,” he said. It will eventually be widened to six lanes.

In a combination of county projects and development requirements, the following improvements are planned: Baxter Road/I-15 interchange traffic signal and ramp widening at a cost of about $2 million beginning next July and ending next December; a signal at the intersection of Central/Palomar intersection is slated during a three-month period next summer; and a yearlong widening of Palomar Street from Mission Trail to Washington at a cost of $11 million beginning the summer of 2008. An alternative route to Clinton Keith Road and additional freeway overpass connection from Inland Valley Drive to Palomar, which would cost approximately $20 million, is on the wish list.

Perez also described major projects in the French Valley/Menifee area, such as Scott Road/I-215 interchange improvements, improvements to State Highway 79, realignment of Clinton Keith Road and Newport Road and widening of Murrieta Road in the Sun City/Menifee area.

Temescal Canyon Road is slated to be widened at a cost of $6 million beginning in 2010 to provide an alternative I-15 freeway route, while a $14 million project to improve the Indian Truck/I-15 interchange will begin next October.