Cherry Valley Blvd./I-10 Interchange Improvement Project Moves Ahead

CALIMESA, CA — The Riverside County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a $2.89 million contract with a Pittsburgh-based firm to oversee environmental and engineering work tied to reconfiguration of an interchange on Interstate 10 in Calimesa where traffic frequently bottles up.

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the five-year agreement with Michael Baker International.

The contractor will handle environmental impact studies and design work associated with the Cherry Valley Boulevard/I-10 Interchange Improvement Project.

"The project will benefit local residents by providing improvements that will alleviate current and future traffic demands, improve safety and improve the operation of the interchange," according to a Transportation & Land Management Agency statement posted to the board's agenda.

The county is collaborating on the project with Caltrans and the city of Calimesa.

According to officials, the interchange is a key access and exit point for residents entering and leaving Calimesa via the freeway, as well as motorists stopping in the municipality to visit retail outlets.

"Significant growth and development in the area have taken place in recent years, and modifications to the interchange and freeway ramps are necessary to accommodate existing and future traffic needs," the TLMA stated.

The interchange is often a choke point, and officials said that to facilitate traffic flows, a new diamond-shaped interchange is required, along with a new freeway overpass.

A tentative groundbreaking date has not yet been set.