Flood Control Officials Approve Bradley Bridge Design

Preliminary design sketches courtesy of Scott Mann via Facebook

Everyone knows we need more rain in Menifee to lessen the drought conditions -- just not enough to flood the Bradley Road crossing at Salt Creek.

As most Menifee residents realize, a drive over Bradley Road north of Newport Road during a heavy rainstorm is a danger hazard. Bradley Road at that point literally travels across the dry creek bed, with only a small culvert to carry rain water under the road. You get much rain at all and the street floods, causing a road closure and the inevitable motorist who ignores signs and hydroplanes on through.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel -- or perhaps better stated, dry land at the end of the bridge.

Menifee Mayor Scott Mann announced on his Facebook page Friday that the Riverside County Flood Control District has notified the city it has approved the engineering for a Bradley Road bridge over the Salt Creek Channel. This means the city can now move into the final design phase, one step closer to the start of construction on a $10 million project originally planned for completion this year.

"This bridge will provide better access and traffic flow for residents in the Sun City area, when the Salt Creek Channel has seasonal flooding," Mann wrote on his Facebook page. "Another great project in the city's Capital Improvement Program takes another step forward."

Design renderings (above and below) show that the roadway will be elevated several feet above the creek bed, eliminating the chances of flooding during a rainstorm. This is especially important for motorists because Bradley Road is one of the few north-south routes that link the heart of Menifee to the Sun City community.

No revised completion date has been given, but the approval of Riverside County Flood Control is a big step.

"A major hurdle," were the words used in an email to Menifee 24/7 by City Council member Greg August, who represents District 1, the Sun City core. "This project has been in the forefront of the city’s projects for a long time; many barriers have slowed the process, but have not deterred effort from the city staff. All the credit goes to the city staff under the leadership of (City Manager) Rob Johnson, City Engineer Jonathan Smith, and now (staff member) Carlos Geronimo."