Corona, CA: Foothill Parkway extension project delayed

In an effort to push a much-delayed Corona road extension project forward, city officials may temporarily downsize it.

Corona planning officials are in the final stages this month of acquiring land for the 2-mile Foothill Parkway extension project that would connect Skyline Drive and Paseo Grande from south Corona to Sierra del Oro.

The project has been envisioned since the mid-1980s, but has been postponed repeatedly because of a lack of funding.

It’s not clear if the city will get funding for the project from the Riverside County Transportation Commission, said Clint Herrera, Corona senior civil engineer and project manager.

This month, the city began the final stages of acquiring property for the project, using eminent domain for several easements. Construction does not require relocating residents or businesses from the residential area, Herrera said.

Originally, the city had expected to break ground on the estimated $30 million two-year project in fall 2009, but delayed construction a year. Then it planned a start date in fall 2011.

Now officials say they don’t plan to begin moving dirt until January of next year, if they can find the funding. If that happens, the project would not include some minor features, such as landscaped medians and a multipurpose trail.

“We’re looking at ways to reduce the cost of the construction by phasing out some of the non-critical elements of the project,” Herrera said.

These would be completed later and could save the city up to $5 million.

The majority of funding would be provided by the Riverside County Transportation Commission, with a city match of $2.5 million.

Roughly $6 million has been spent on planning, design, land acquisition and right-of-ways.

The city’s plan is to have the project shovel ready for construction when money becomes available, said Nelson Nelson, Corona Assistant Public Works Director.

Several negotiations with residents have yet to be completed, and have not gone as quickly as expected. Residents on Border and Mangular avenues, which will be connected to the extension and have traffic lights, have protested those connections.

One concern is the likelihood that commuters heading north on Interstate 15 to westbound Highway 91 will be tempted to use Foothill Parkway to avoid congestion at that interchange. But Herrera has said studies show that improvements on the 91 will keep drivers on I 15.

The extension is expected to reduce traffic by up to 40 percent on Ontario Avenue, which often is backed up with rush-hour commuters. Ontario and Sixth Street are the city’s primary east-west thoroughfares.