New 215 Freeway on- and off-ramps planned for Menifee, Murrieta to provide better access
QMartin Stearns of Menifee wants to know how to go about requesting a new onramp and off-ramp on the 215 Freeway at Keller Road in Menifee. Stearns noted that the area off the 215 between Murrieta and Menifee now has two major medical centers — Kaiser Permanente and Loma Linda University Medical Center. Murrieta Fire Station No. 4 on Antelope Road is near Keller Road as well, he said. “The obvious problem is there are no on- or offramps on Keller Road. What can we do to start the process of requesting that ramps be built?” our reader asks.
AOur reader doesn’t have to do anything because the city of Murrieta and Caltrans are already aware of the need for the ramps and freeway access at Keller Road, and they’re working on it.
The city of Murrieta’s preferred planned Keller Road/215 Interchange project between Murrieta and Scott Road in Menifee proposes north and southbound onand off-ramps from the 215 to Keller Road, which currently has a two-lane underpass at the freeway. Once the new interchange is built, the ramps will improve access to the medical center campuses and everything else in this growing region. Current 215 Freeway access is either at Scott Road or Clinton Keith.
The proposed Keller Road and 215 Interchange is part of the city’s “plan to transform this corridor into the future bio-medical, educational and technological center of the region,” according to a 2021 fact sheet on the project provided by Murrieta Public Works Director/City Engineer Bob Moehling. The interchange will provide more direct access to the medical facilities, and allow for their expansion as planned. “The proposed Keller Road interchange would place patients and emergency vehicles at or within a half mile of both facilities, thereby reducing emergency response times dramatically,” the sheet says.
The projected cost for the interchange and ramps is $47 million. Murrieta is working to acquire the remaining right-of-way areas and funding. The city has $15.4 million and still needs $31.6 million. Murrieta is applying for federal, state and local grants. Caltrans requires an Environmental Impact Report, and once that’s approved, construction could start in fall 2023, according to the project fact sheet.
Scam alert
You’ve probably heard by now about the shortage of new vehicles for sale, rising prices for new cars, and skyrocketing prices for used vehicles due to the coronavirus pandemic. Well, the Department of Motor Vehicles is warning people to beware of a new scam related to this problem.
Apparently, scammers are luring unsuspecting people into buying stolen vehicles online. The crooks are stealing a vehicle, altering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), creating a fake pink slip (ownership title document), and advertising the car for sale online. The scammers try to lure in buyers by listing the stolen vehicles below market value and telling potential buyers they have received several offers, according to the DMV.
If you’re looking to buy a used vehicle online, be careful!
Follow these tips from the DMV to help avoid inadvertently buying a stolen vehicle:
• Ask the seller for a VIN report or obtain one online;
• Compare the name of the owner on the pink slip to the name of the seller;
• Try to meet the seller in person at a DMV office to complete the sale and vehicle transfer, or at a police station to verify the vehicle. If the person refuses to meet, it’s a red flag.
If you think you bought a stolen vehicle with a fraudulent pink slip, call DMV Investigations at 661-836-2291.
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@pe.com or call 951-368-9670.