ROUTE 79 REALIGNMENT PROJECT

Status: Long-Term

Location: Western Riverside County

Type of Project: Highways

Location: State Route 79, San Jacinto-Hemet areas

Construction: Long Range

OVERVIEW

RCTC, in partnership with Caltrans, the County of Riverside and the cities of San Jacinto and Hemet, proposes to realign Route 79 between Domenigoni Parkway and Gilman Springs Road, in the San Jacinto-Hemet areas.

The Environmental Document for the project was approved in December 2016. The project is in the expenditure plan for Measure A, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax measure for transportation improvements in Riverside County. Measure A will fund a portion of the project. However, the expenditure plan assumed 50 percent of all project expenses would be paid for with federal and state transportation funding sources. These sources are currently funded far below historical levels; therefore, until additional funding is available, RCTC cannot proceed with right-of-way acquisition or construction of the project.

The Environmental Document for the project was approved in December of 2016.

  • 2004:  Public scoping meeting held.  Formal start of environmental process.
  • 2005:  Evaluate and redefine alternatives
  • 2008:  Conduct required field surveys and prepare technical reports
  • 2009-2012:  Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS)
  • 2013: Circulate Draft EIR/EIS for public review and comment, conduct public hearings and review comments
  • 2014:  Preparation of Partially Recirculated Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS, identify Preferred Alternative for Project
  • 2015:  Partially recirculated Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS available for public review and comment
  • 2016:  Publish Final EIR/EIS, prepare and publish ROD
  • 2017 & Beyond:  Final design, Right of Way acquisition, and construction

Environmental Documents

Record of Decision (Aug 2016), click here.

Project Map

Draft Environmental Documents
Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement