Hey Freeway Drivers, You're In Wildomar!

WILDOMAR, CA — Lake Elsinore has its "Dream Extreme" moniker hanging over Interstate 15. Temecula's "Old Traditions – New Opportunities" sign is visible to southbound freeway drivers. And Murrieta has its diamond logo and decorative landscaping at Interstate 215/Los Alamos Road.

Wildomar is looking to get some freeway exposure, too.

The city is eyeing all three of its I-15 ramps — Clinton Keith Road, Wildomar Trail, and Bundy Canyon Road — for possible signage.

Clinton Keith is the big one, though. The city is considering adding its logo to the road's freeway overpass, in the heart of downtown Wildomar.

At Wednesday's Wildomar City Council meeting, city staff will look for direction from council members on possible projects, including what should be spent on "community identification."

It won't be cheap. For example, construction costs for the Murrieta moniker at Los Alamos were $1.1 million back in 2014 — or roughly $1.7 million when adjusted to 2023 prices, according to a city of Wildomar staff report.

In addition to construction, additional project costs include preliminary planning, design, construction administration, ongoing future maintenance, and removal costs (if required in the future for any reason), according to the report.

Such projects require Caltrans approval, but they are allowed and encouraged.

"Caltrans supports enriching the cultural and visual environment by facilitating the placement of community identification within the State highway right-of-way," according to the report.

If the Wildomar freeway ID theme sounds familiar, it should. It wasn't that long ago that Baxter Road became Wildomar Trail. The 2020 renaming was designed to help pinpoint the city for the millions of motorists who travel the I-15 corridor.

"'Where is Wildomar?'" is a question all too familiar to its residents and businesses," according to an early 2020 news release from the city about the name change. "Nestled in between Lake Elsinore and Murrieta and only 11 years old, this fantastic city is getting ready to let the world — or at least Interstate 15 travelers — know just where Wildomar is."

For the record, the city will turn 15 years old on July 1.

Wednesday's 6 p.m. Wildomar City Council meeting takes place in Council Chambers, 23873 Clinton Keith Road, Suite 106. See the full meeting agenda here.