The Point: Project is designed to enhance safety, expand access, reduce emissions, and improve traffic flow
A new connection from eastbound 91 to northbound 71 will be under construction soon in Corona, helping to improve regional safety, access, air quality, and traffic flow for motorists and freight. RCTC, in partnership with Caltrans, expects to start construction late this month and to open the new interchange in 2025.
“Completing this project will provide welcome relief for our residents, especially those returning to Riverside County during afternoon hours on eastbound 91,” said RCTC Chair Robert “Bob” Magee, councilmember for the City of Lake Elsinore. “The project is another example of RCTC’s efforts to improve mobility along one of our most congested areas countywide,” he said.
The project will replace the existing single-lane loop connector with a new, two-lane, non-tolled, direct connector. To support access to this new connector, the project will add an eastbound 91 auxiliary lane next to the highway shoulder and realign the eastbound 91 Green River on-ramp to the south. Crews also will slightly realign southbound 71 to create space for the new connector.
The 71/91 Interchange serves as a gateway between Riverside, Orange, and San Bernardino counties and is a vital link for commuters and freight vehicles that travel along the 91 and the 71.
Once completed, the new interchange will improve safety by reducing weaving among lanes, expand access to other modes of travel – such as Metrolink passenger rail, reduce greenhouse gas emissions with fewer idling vehicles, and enhance traffic flow by replacing the existing single-lane loop connector with the two-lane direct connector along one of the region’s heaviest traveled corridors. The project will support continued movement through this area by native wildlife such as mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes.
Project Rendering
Project funding is comprised of a combination of federal, state, and local funds, with $58.1 million of the $137 million construction costs provided by California’s Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, more commonly known as Senate Bill 1. A portion of the costs is funded by Measure A, the voter approved, half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Riverside County. The project is expected to create approximately 1,700 construction-related jobs, including contracts awarded to Riverside-based Skanska USA Civil West and Corona-based Falcon Engineering.
Motorists should watch for nighttime and weekend closures of lanes, ramps, and connectors. To register for construction updates, visit rctc.org/71-91interchange or text 7191INTERCHANGE to 77222.