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I-215/Keller Road Interchange Project
The Keller Road/I-215 Interchange project is located in northern Murrieta, just south of the City of Menifee, and proposes north and southbound on and off-ramps from the 1-215 freeway to Keller Road. Keller Road currently exists as a two-lane underpass on 1-215. Once the interchange is constructed, the ramps will provide improved access to current and planned hospital and medical campuses, hotel accommodations and research and development operations.
REGIONAL BENEFITS
- The proposed Keller Road & 1-215 Interchange is an integral part of the City's plan to transform this corridor into the future bio-medical, educational and technological center of the region.
The interchange will provide more direct access to the Loma Linda University Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente medical offices, as well as allow for the expansion of their respective facilities/services as currently planned. 1
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 lack of freeway access has frustrated build out of this medical/technical corridor, which could accommodate ~1.2M square feet of hospital/medical space; including a 254-bed hospital that is planned as part of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Campus and an additional 125 beds at Loma Linda University Medical Center.
The impact of employment from major roadway infrastructure additions (including interchanges) cannot be understated. On average, 5,782 jobs, $267M in created income, $840M in business output, $6.3B maximum increase in direct private investment, $85M maximum property value increase, and $55M maximum increase in property tax revenues are attributed to these improvements. 2
The integration of roundabouts into the project design improves safety with the elimination of signalized intersections and reduces costs associated with right-of-way acquisition. The interchange will reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and congestion while being the first of its kind to utilize the two-roundabout design in the region.
1 Access is limited to Scott Rd or Clinton Keith Rd interchanges; either one mile north or one and a half miles south of Keller Road, respectively.
2 Highway Economic Impact Case Study Database & Analysis Findings, pg. 27; www.edrgroup.com/pdf/SHRPC03Fina1Report.pdf 
STATUS/SCHEDULE
With an Environmental Impact Report now required by Caltrans, the following schedule is applicable:
- Environmental Approval: Spring 2024
- Final project design and engineering: Fall 2024
- ROW Acquisition/Certification: Spring 2025
- Construction starts: Summer 2025
COSTS/NEED
- Total Cost: $47 million
- $6M Design & Engineering
- $3M Permits/Admin/lnsp.
- $9M Right-of-Way
- $29M Construction
- Funds Committed: $18.0 million
The City and Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), which are part of the Self-Help Counties Coalition, have committed funding to cover costs through the analysis/plan phase and a portion of the right-of-way acquisition.
- $10M DIF (local)
- $2.3M TUMF (regional)
- $1.SM RDA Bond (regional)
- $1.6M FHA repurposed / STIP funds (federal)3
- $2.6M Earmark Funding (federal)4
3 The Federal Highway Administration & Caltrans approved the repurposing of SAFETEA-LU funds that would be applied to preliminary engineering (E-76 letter).
4 Confressional Earmark via Ken Calvert
INTERCHANGE - CONCEPTUAL RENDERING:
*Please note that this aerial portrays one design alternative and is conceptual. A decision has not yet been made on the final design and concept.
The City of Murrieta (City), in cooperation with California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 8, County of Riverside (County) and the City of Menifee, proposes a new full interchange and auxiliary lanes at Interstate 215 (I‐215) and Keller Road in Riverside County. Along Keller Road, the project limits are from Zeiders Road to Whitewood Road. Along I‐215, the project limits are from north of Clinton Keith Interchange to south of Scott Road Interchange. The scoping period is from October 5, 2022 to November 21, 2022. A virtual public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, to give you an opportunity to talk about the project with City and Caltrans staff.
Project Documents:
Public Notices in English and Spanish
Accessing Public Meetings:
The City of Murrieta will also have virtual guidance that will provide instructions to attendees on how to access public meetings. These instructions will be posted on this webpage prior to scheduled meetings.
October 19, 2022 Public Meeting
Missed the October 19 scoping meeting? Check out the documents below to learn more about what was discussed.