City Opens Holland Overpass Study for Public Review

This map, which is part of the Holland Road Overpass study, shows the proposed design structure.

The City of Menifee has announced a public comment period through May 24 regarding a study of the design and potential environmental impact of the Holland Road overpass project.

The study is a 139-page document outlining plans for the overpass, which will provide a much-needed additional route across Interstate 215 for motorists. The study includes a Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration. In essence, the document provides an explanation of the action city officials believe will mitigate any serious impact on the environment, including gas emissions, sound, plant and animal life, etc.

The MND is a required part of the process in planning for the overpass. As with all major road projects, such a process usually takes years. However, as stated in a previous Menifee 24/7 news story, the project has been fast tracked. Although the project won't begin this spring, as originally projected, it very likely could begin before the Scott Road Interchange project.

According to City Manager Rob Johnson (left), the $18 million project is fully funded and the design team has construction specifics completed. One big remaining hurdle is the Environmental Impact Report, which could be sent to the City Council for approval in August if there are no issues during the public review period of the MND document.

"We expedited the processing because we proved to CalTrans that less than $3 million of the cost would be over the freeway," Johnson said after Wednesday night's City Council meeting. "We’ve done everything possible to fast track it. We have submitted 100 percent of the plans and we’ve received approval of 90-95 percent of it."

Once the EIR is approved, the City would still have to purchase some surrounding property for the right of way, specifically on the west side of the freeway. A cul-de-sac would branch off from Holland Road just east of Haun Road for access to the storage business at that location. Below right is a graphic showing plans for the four-lane Holland Road bridge.

Recognizing the traffic impact of a fast-growing city, especially factoring in the construction at the Newport Road Interchange, Johnson said city officials have been "busting our tails" to expedite the Holland Road overpass project. One of the biggest proponents of the fast-track process has been Mayor Scott Mann, whose campaign promises prior to his first two-year term in 2012 included "Build Holland First."

In a Menifee 24/7 Candidates Forum prior to his re-election in 2014, Mann re-stated his promise to get the Holland Road overpass built as soon as possible.

"It wasn’t obvious to me that the bridge wouldn’t be built soon because when I was on the inaugural council, I helped get the Holland Road overpass on the county transportation improvement plan and when I left the council and came back during the campaign trail for mayor, I hadn’t realized that the council between me being there and now kind of let the ball drop," Mann said at the time (below left). "We got it on our capital improvement plan and it’s scheduled to go into construction in 2016."

Johnson said it is difficult to project a date for the start of construction of the Holland Road overpass project or the Scott Road Interchange. The Scott Road project actually is further along in the planning process, but much of the funding is still needed.

One thing that has helped the Scott Road project is a decrease in cost from $52 million to $36 million, Johnson said. This became possible when the decision was made to change the original plan of an eight-lane bridge to a six-lane bridge.

"We told CalTrans it didn’t make sense to have an eight-lane bridge when Scott Road is only two lanes from the 215 Freeway all the way to the 15," Johnson said. "That reduced the cost. We’ve looked at a traffic study to see if that volume (six lanes) will be sufficient through 2040, and it looks like it will be. A second phase will be done later."

Johnson said the City has received assurances from CalTrans that if the City can secure financing by Sept. 1, it can advertise for construction bids on the project. A private capital group has been contracted to look for financing.

"It will not be a bond," Johnson said. "It will be like a construction loan that is set up like a mortgage we would pay back.

"My hope was to have financing for both projects in place and plans approved by September. I just can’t say at this point which project will start first."

Meanwhile, discussions continue on a proposed agreement to have the City of Murrieta and Kaiser Permanente share in the cost of the Scott Road project. That interchange would be a major access point for clients of the Kaiser facility that will be built north of the Loma Linda University Medical Center. There are also plans for a freeway exit at Keller Road in the future.

Even after financing is secured for the Scott Road project, some additional right of way property must be purchased on the southwest corner of the site, Johnson said.

Printed copies of the Draft Initial Study with Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration document are available for public review at the following locations:

-- City of Menifee City Hall, Front Counter – 29714 Haun Road, Menifee, CA 92586

-- Paloma Valley Library – 31375 Bradley Road, Menifee, CA 92584

-- Sun City Library – 26982 Cherry Hills Blvd., Menifee, CA 92586

The document may also be viewed online here.

Community members may submit comments or questions through Tuesday, May 24, to:

Carlos E. Geronimo, PE
City of Menifee Senior Civil Engineer
29714 Haun Road
Menifee, CA 92586
cgeronimo@cityofmenifee.us