The Point: New interchange in Perris expands access to work, jobs and improves traffic flow in area
Heading to or from Perris? Drivers have another option to enter and exit Interstate 215 with the opening of the new Placentia Avenue Interchange.
RCTC opened the on-ramps and off-ramps December 13, providing an alternative to the Ramona Expressway ramps to the north and the Nuevo Road ramps to the south. Construction of the $42 million infrastructure investment began in August 2020.
“We are excited to deliver this important piece of infrastructure for our residents of Perris and neighboring communities,” said RCTC Chair and Riverside County 4th District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “This new interchange expands access to work and school and helps with traffic flow in this rapidly growing area,” he said.
The project provided close to 400 jobs during construction. Crews built the on- and off-ramps, widened the Placentia Avenue bridge over I-215 with new lanes between Harvill Avenue and Indian Road, and added sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and a barrier-separated equestrian path along Placentia Avenue. Crews also constructed detention basins to reduce local street flooding.
The interchange is the first construction segment of the Mid County Parkway, a planned 16-mile corridor between Perris and San Jacinto. RCTC began final design last month of the next Mid County Parkway segment, which will extend 8.6 miles along Ramona Expressway from Warren Road to about one mile east of Rider Street in the County of Riverside.
The Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway project will address high priority safety needs for this segment of roadway with a history of vehicle collisions. The project also will reduce travel times and promote transportation equity for the Perris and San Jacinto valleys with better connections to I-215, Route 79, Metrolink service, and Riverside Transit Agency service.
RCTC currently is seeking grant funding to build this next section of the MCP. If funds can be secured, construction could start in early 2025.