The Friday Flyer, June 1, 2007 - Article: Eastbound lanes on Newport Rd. scheduled to open in July

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Eastbound lanes on Newport Rd. scheduled to open in July

By Shannon Weatherford
Reporter

     Work on the Newport Rd. realignment and widening will continue for several more months, according to Adam Eventov of TMG Communications, the public relations firm for the Audie Murphy Ranch project, with the eastbound lanes slated for a July opening and the westbound lanes open by December.
     The work, which consists of widening the road to four lanes – two in each direction – as well as realigning it to sweep around and connect with Railroad Canyon Rd. to eliminate the bottleneck at Goetz Rd., is part of several area infrastructure improvements required to be completed by the project’s developers. Work began in early 2006 and initially was due to be completed by the end of that year; however, a number of unforeseen engineering problems arose which delayed the project.
     Grading activities were impacted by higher than anticipated levels of groundwater. Initial boring samples had indicated groundwater at 18 feet below the surface, however when grading began actual groundwater levels were found to be at only three to four feet as a result of heavier than normal rainfall in 2004. The groundwater was dealt with by channeling it through a series of connecting trenches to an overflow basin; the water was then cleaned and filtered per state environmental standards and returned to Salt Creek.
     Further problems arose when crews encountered much larger boulders underground than expected. Rather than bury large rocks and boulders as planned, they were instead crushed onsite and trucked out to be reused at other sites.
     According to Riverside County Transportation Director George Johnson, the project’s end result will benefit the entire area, creating a “vital corridor” allowing drivers to travel from the I-15 in Lake Elsinore through Menifee Valley and into Hemet, with Newport Rd. east of Menifee Rd. extended to Domenigioni Parkway.
     Also being addressed by the project is the portion of Goetz Rd. north of the East Port entrance to Canyon Lake. This area of road, which is prone to flooding and closures during heavy rainfall will be upgraded with a bridge crossing to eliminate flooding, allowing drainage to Salt Creek to be diverted under the road. Construction on the Goetz Road bridge has been slated for mid-2007, after the completion of Newport Rd,. and will require the temporary closure of the East Gate.
     The project is being developed jointly by Brookfield Homes and Woodside Homes, with the first homes expected to be open by spring of 2008 The 1,100-acre site will eventually consist of approximately 2,125 single family home sites, three public parks and more than 30 acres of trails and paseos as well as two new schools – an elementary school and a middle school.
     More than 150 acres have been set aside as permanent open space and conveyed to the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians to help preserve certain archeological and anthropological features of the land.
      Preservation and enhancement of the Salt Creek waterway has also been identified in project plans.