Perris is preparing to build a $22 million bridge that will improve access for emergency vehicles in the middle of the city.
The four-lane, 450-foot Ethanac Bridge will span the San Jacinto River and will include a 10-foot wide multi-purpose trail and six-foot wide bike lanes, according to a statement on the city’s website.
The bridge is the first phase of the Ethanac Expressway Corridor Plan, which will ultimately connect Ethanac Road to Highway 74. The east-west connection is expected to reduce one-way travel distances by 4.5 miles and save commuters about 10 minutes of travel time.
“Team Perris is very excited to get this project up,” said Mayor Michael Vargas in the statement. “This bridge will help alleviate traffic congestion in the area, but also provide relief for fire and flood access.”
Vargas and other local officials participated in a recent groundbreaking ceremony.
The project is a partnership between Riverside County Transportation Commission, Western Riverside Council of Governments, and Richland Communities, an Irvine-based real estate development company.
Construction is expected to start next spring and take about one year to complete, according to the statement.