In an effort to change its history of car crashes, officials are renovating a narrow two-lane road between Moreno Valley and San Jacinto to make the route safer.
The work on Gilman Springs Road is part of a $30 million project expected to be completed in spring.
Construction began in mid-September and aims to widen the road, pave the shoulders, add a 1-mile northbound passing lane and install a wildlife crossing.
The work is taking place east of Moreno Valley on about 4 miles of Gilman Springs Road, from 1.7 miles south of Alessandro Boulevard to approximately 1 mile south of Bridge Street. The 4-mile stretch will be closed until Nov. 21.
The winding road remains a major connector for drivers traveling between western Riverside County and the San Jacinto Valley.
San Jacinto officials suggest that drivers take a detour using Highway 79, which runs alongside part of Gilman Springs Road to the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley.
While the closure may cause traffic backups, Riverside County’s transportation department is “monitoring the detour and local county roadways to make any necessary adjustments to traffic signal timing,” a county news release states.
County officials are also working with Caltrans and the cities of Hemet and San Jacinto to address traffic issues created by the closure, according to the release.
Construction will create 6-foot-wide paved shoulders so drivers can safely pull off the road, a 4-foot-wide double yellow striped center median with rumble strips to separate opposing traffic lanes and a 1-mile-long northbound passing lane, a news release states.
Today, the road has plastic reflective poles that divide north- and south-bound lanes as vehicles pass each other in opposite directions.
The road has seen a number of accidents. A recent one occurred in early September, when five people were killed in a four-car collision at the intersection of Gilman Springs Road and Bridge Street southeast of Moreno Valley.
In addition to the pavement work, the county’s transportation department will install a raised concrete center median similar the one on the Ramona Expressway from Kennedy Hill Road to Alessandro Boulevard, and guardrails at various locations, a Riverside County news release states.
Related links
Gilman Springs Road is getting a $44 million makeover
How the long and winding Gilman Springs Road came to be
5 died near Moreno Valley after illegal passing caused chain-reaction crash, CHP says
“Gilman Springs Road connects Hemet, San Jacinto, and the surrounding areas to the 60 Freeway and is a vital connection for our growing communities,” Riverside County 5th District Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez said in a statement.
An additional road closure south of Bridge Street is planned in January.
“We recognize the inconvenience during the full road closure and crews are working multiple shifts day and night to minimize public impact,” San Jacinto officials said in a recent Instagram post.
Updates on Gilman Springs Road closures can be found here.
