When will the Clinton Keith extension project near Murrieta be completed?
Q
Thomas McClure said the Benton Road extension to connect with Clinton Keith Road is finally under construction in the
French Valley/Murrieta area. McClure asked if On the Road could provide a timeframe for the completion of this project.
A
The roadwork is part of a larger project called the Clinton Keith Road Extension Project, which has been underway for years by the Riverside County Transportation Department in partnership with the city of Murrieta. It’s scheduled to wrap up in late summer.
We ran our reader’s question by the county’s engineering project manager, John Ashlock, to provide an updated overview: Murrieta and Riverside County are extending Clinton Keith Road from the 215 Freeway to Highway 79, or Winchester Road, to add another eastwest road to accommodate growing traffic demands in French Valley.
This will make Clinton Keith Road a six-lane road between the 215 and Winchester. This project has been built in phases over several years as funds became available. According to the project website, Phase 1 widened Clinton Keith Road between the 215 and Whitewood Road to six lanes and included a raised median; it was completed in 2011. Phase 2 extended Clinton Keith from Whitewood Road to Leon Road with a four lane cross-section including a wide center median; this part was completed in 2018. Similar to Phase 2, the limits for Phase 4 are from Whitewood Road to Leon Road, to complete a six-lane cross-section with a raised median. Phases 4 and 2 were done simultaneously to quicken construction. Construction on Phase 4 started in 2018 and was finished later that year.
Underway now is Phase 3, from Leon Road to Winchester at Benton Road. Improvements include extending Clinton Keith Road from Leon to Winchester,
as well as building two large drainage structures and two water quality detention basins for storm water management.
For project updates, readers can visit clintonkeithphase3.org, email info@clintonkeithphase3.org, call 888-313-2200. Or, visit https://rcprojects.org.
Q
Alfred Lopez of Riverside, who is a veteran on disability, said
he’d read about free toll privileges for disabled veteran drivers in California and asked for details.
AFirst, as of Jan. 1, a new law (AB 2949) gives certain veterans and disabled veterans free tolls on California toll roads and bridges. This is for American veterans with specialty license plates indicating the driver is a disabled veteran, a Pearl Harbor survivor, a former prisoner of war, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, a Purple Heart recipient, or the recipient of the Army Medal of Honor, Navy Medal of Honor, Air Force Medal of Honor, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force Cross. The driver must have a disability recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain one of these plates from the Department of Motor Vehicles, then the veteran can register for a transponder (like with FasTrak) or an electronic toll payment device and avoid paying tolls.
More details about the license plates: dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/licenseplates-decals-and-placards/disabled-veteran-dv-licenseplates/).
The Toll Roads of Orange County website offers details about this program and another program for active military drivers: https://www.thetollroads.com/help/military/. Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we'll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@ scng.com or call 951-368-9670.