Pipeline project nears Newport-Murrieta intersection

By Doug Spoon, Editor

As the second phase of Eastern Municipal Water District’s Murrieta Road pipeline project nears completion, plans are being made for the installation of pipeline under the intersection of Murrieta Road and Newport Road.

That phase is scheduled to begin Feb. 4 and will take about four weeks, said Joe Mouawad, general manager of EMWD, in a report to the Menifee City Council on Wednesday. Work at the busy intersection will be done in the evening hours, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

The pipeline will carry potable water to outlying areas of Menifee from the new Perris II Reverse Osmosis Desalination plant on Murrieta Road near Salt Creek. The project is expected to add 5.4 million gallons of potable water to the area.

The first section of pipeline was installed under Salt Creek and took several months to complete, while traffic was restricted on Murrieta Road. The current project is installing pipeline under Murrieta Road just north of Newport Road.

After the phase at Murrieta Road and Newport Road is completed, the final section of the 6,000-foot, 36-inch diameter pipeline will be installed south of Murrieta Road, leading to La Piedra Road. During that time, Murrieta Road will be closed from Puerto Vallarta Way to La Piedra Road. Detours will be available by using Murphy Ranch Road and Evans Road to head south from Newport Road. That phase is scheduled to take no more than 14 days.

The dates of that project are tentative. Council member Bob Karwin expressed hope that half of the 14 days will coincide with the school districts’ spring break April 11-18 in order to minimize traffic concerns. Mouawad said officials will make every effort to do that.