Great Scott! There's finally enough money to fix the bridge

The Scott Road bridge, seen from the northbound freeway-off ramp looking to the northwest, is only two lanes wide. Menifee 24/7 photo: Doug Spoon

All the preliminary work has been done. The construction design was prepared and revised. Easements were acquired from adjacent property owners. The Scott Road freeway interchange project has been "shovel ready" for months.

So what was the hold-up in the start of construction of an expanded freeway bridge needed almost as much as the recently completed Newport Road Interchange?

Money.

Finally, the bank vault has been opened -- thanks both to a Riverside County agency and the voters of Menifee. That's why Menifee City Council members were celebrating Wednesday after approving an amended agreement with the County that provides the remaining funds needed to get the project underway.

"I'm really happy to see this finally come to fruition," mayor pro tem Matt Liesemeyer said after the council unanimously approved the agreement, which includes $15 million in funding from the county through developer fees. "This is a huge win for Menifee. I'd like to thank the county for being so generous."

The county's contribution was detailed during a presentation before the vote by Christopher Gray, representing the Western Riverside Council of Governments, which administers the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee program. The TUMF program ensures that developers pay a fair share of transportation improvements.

After a Nexus study of TUMF funds in the region was conducted, WRCOG officials made the decision to allocate $15 million over the next five years toward the Scott Road Interchange project. Gray also said the agreement approved by the City Council on Wednesday gives the City of Menifee the right to request an additional $15 million in forthcoming years for transportation projects.

Council member Lesa Sobek was quick to point out that thanks should also be given to the people of Menifee, who voted last November to approve Measure DD, a 1 percent sales tax increase expected to generate about $8 million in city revenue over the next year. Interim City Manager Ron Bradley said previously that $2 million from Measure DD funds will go toward the Scott Road project.

"I'd like to express thanks to our residents for passing Measure DD," Sobek said. "That was a big part of this."

The $57 million project will build a new Scott Road bridge that will be six lanes wide -- two through lanes each way and two turn lanes. Even with funds previously devoted to the project by the City of Menifee, through Community Facilities District taxes and with $2 million in Measure DD funds, the project lacked about $8 million in funding until the TUMF fees were allocated.

City engineer Jonathan Smith said the City is prepared to solicit bids for construction manager of the project in August. He expects construction to begin in the first quarter of 2018. That's still at least five months away, but at least now there's justification for announcing a start date.

Through the new agreement, Riverside County is named the lead agency on the project. Smith said this helps expedite the project because the county -- not the city -- has the authority to manage a project in the Caltrans corridor. The city, however, has the right to solicit bids for the construction and be involved in the decision making process.

Design map (west at the top) shows the configuration of the new Scott Road Bridge.