The Point: The future 12-mile county expressway project receives new name thanks to community input
In September, the Riverside County Transportation Commission approved renaming the SR-79 Realignment Project to the San Jacinto Valley Expressway Project. The project was renamed following two rounds of public input and thousands of responses from residents along the SR-79 corridor and adjacent communities. Originally envisioned as a state route, the proposed expressway is now being designed and planned as a County of Riverside facility – requiring the new project name.
To help select a new project name, the Commission launched community-driven efforts to solicit public input, raise awareness, and celebrate community identity. Over the past year, thousands of residents in Hemet, San Jacinto, Winchester, and across the surrounding unincorporated areas in Riverside County provided a meaningful voice in shaping the project’s legacy by providing name suggestions and then voting on the top seven names.
Following the multiple public input phases, a special renaming panel comprised of elected officials and community leaders along the project area unanimously voted to recommend the “San Jacinto Valley Expressway” name to the Commission based on community feedback.
The proposed new 12-mile county expressway from south of Domenigoni Parkway north to Gilman Springs Road will include two lanes in each direction. The project also includes space for a future 35-foot-wide transportation corridor, a multipurpose trail, and wildlife crossings.
The project is a partnership between RCTC, the County of Riverside, and the cities of San Jacinto and Hemet. For more information about the project, please visit: rctc.org/sjv-expressway