by Breeanna Jent on 2014-01-29
Federal, state and local officials celebrated at a ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 24, the completion of San Bernardino's massive $647 million Interstate 215 North Corridor widening project that will improve access to the interstate's west side and overall mobility through the city of San Bernardino for more than 83,000 travelers daily. That number is expected to increase to 135,000 drivers daily by the year 2030.
The project also created approximately 8,300 direct and indirect jobs in an area hard hit by the economic decline, San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris explained to the crowd.
The massive project spanned seven years and includes 15 new bridges, four new lanes, two flyovers and the reconstruction of 34 ramps along the 7.5 mile route. The complete product also boasts artistic wallscapes that reflect the San Bernardino Mountains, the region's railroad history and natural springs. It was funded through a combination of $128 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, $117 million in State Proposition IB funds, and local Measure I funds — the voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in San Bernardino County.
"The new I-215 set the stage for growth, created economic opportunity and helped Southern Californians get back to work," said Federal Highway Deputy Administrator Greg Nadeau, who traveled from Washington, D.C. for the ceremony. "San Bernardino residents can travel on a better road and get safely from one part of town to another without a freeway separating them and with fewer delays."
Construction began in 2007 and was completed in four phases due to partnership between SANBAG (San Bernardino Associated Governments), Caltrans, The city of San Bernardino, the Federal Highway Administration and more than 60 subcontractors.
"We now have one of the nation's most elaborate, efficient and safe freeway systems passing through the heart of San Bernardino County," said SANBAG President Bill Jahn, also a council member in the city of Big Bear Lake. "This project started before the nation's recession began. It weathered through some financial challenges during the recession and we feel confident it will help lead this region out of the recession."
San Bernardino County Supervisor James Ramos touched on the job creation the project brought forward.
"You saw the county working together with the state and with Caltrans to bring synergy and development that would bring jobs to our area," he said. "That's what this is about. This is a prime example of how we're meeting demands so we can market our community and market our region to bring jobs forward."
Caltrans District 8 Director Basem Muallem addressed the audience; "This is a really important project for this reason: if you were to drive in the Inland Empire, in Riverside or San Bernardino, every two or three miles you're going to see some construction work. We are doing great, great work, working with our regional partners to deliver projects. I think this project is a poster-child that really exemplifies the collaborative work between Caltrans and our regional partners and FHWA. It took a great team effort to put a project like this together."
"This project was so important that it didn't matter whether we were talking about congestion relief, corridor mobility or transportation improvement, we qualified with this project," said Fran Inman, California Transportation Commission (CTC). "I want to thank everybody for really keeping the pressure on us and making it happen. We have a lot of groundbreakings but... the best part is when we have these openings in our communities."
Caltrans leaders say they hope the expansion and revitalization project will increase traffic flow and enhance access to both the east and west sides of San Bernardino to increase major good movements between the Victor Valley, Riverside County, Orange County and Los Angeles County.
[END]
Friday, Jan. 24, 2014
10 a.m.
City of San Bernardino, near Baseline St. Bridge
Please join the San Bernardino Associated Governments, Caltrans and the City of San Bernardino at the Interstate 215 Widening Completion Ceremony.
Work has been underway for the past seven years on the four-phase project that has been a complete restructure improving capacity for all motorists, increasing access to and through City of San Bernardino and creating thousands of jobs as part of construction.
DIRECTIONS: Take I-215 north, exit Baseline St., turn right, turn left on H street and head north.
This Friday, January 24, San Bernardino Associated Governments and Caltrans will commemorate the completion of one of the largest ARRA funded freeway construction projects in the United States.
Federal Highway Administration Deputy Administrator Greg Nadeau will be among many other dignitaries in the Inland Empire tomorrow as we open the final portion of the seven-year Interstate 215 Widening Project through the City of San Bernardino.
The $647 million project is a collaboration among Caltrans, SANBAG, FHWA and the City of San Bernardino that received $128 million in ARRA funding and $117 million in Proposition 1B funding. This project was on the verge of being put on hold in 2009 because of the Great Recession but moved forward because of the funding it received, stimulating a region that at the time had one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
Click here for a media alert with information about the event that begins at 10 a.m. in San Bernardino. Representatives are available for interview from FHWA, SANBAG, Caltrans and the City of San Bernardino.
Also, you can click here to view the project magazine that provides information on the background and features of the project.
If you have questions or would like to schedule an interview, please contact us at (909) 384-8188. Thank you for your time.
-Robert Chevez
On Behalf of the Intestate 215 Widening Project
Basem Muallem:
I am very proud to be here today to celebrate this very exciting time for the City of San Bernardino and the Inland Empire in the completion of the I-215 widening project. This historic ... project marks one of the largest allocations of stimulus dollars set for as condition for revitalization plan for the City of SB. It is the unprecedented collaboration between key partners: Caltrans, SANBAG, The City of San Bernardino ... to find innovative funding solutions to keep the project moving forward.
... Vital for the movement of goods and people in and out of the region. The project provided jobs for people in tough times. When project began, nation found itself falling into one of the worst economic downturns in recent history.
This is a really important project for this reason: if you were to drive in the Inland Empire, in Riverside or San Bernardino, you're going to see every two or three miles some construction work, and you'll see workers out there. And we are doing great, great work, working with our regional partners to deliver projects. I think this project is a poster-child that really exemplifies the collaborative work between Caltrans and our regional partners and FHWA. It took a great team effort to put a project like this together.
FRAN INMAN:
This project was so important, that it didn't matter whether we were talking about congestion relief, corridor mobility, transportation improvement, we qualified with this project. I think it's really totally a team effort. I want to thank everybody for really keeping the pressure on us and making it happen. We have a lot of groundbreakings but I can really tell you the best part is when we have these openings in our communities."
James Ramos:
When you start to look at, growing up in the community, you start to see how the freeway system was done, how before they did this interchange they were going into the side of SB, things would go off eastward. What this does is brings together the logistics in our community, so you can start to see that thoroughfare move forward, and bringing the city together, from the west to the east, and bringing commercial development that way, and you can now go into the west side of the community where there needs development, and you can see the synergy as a whole, and that's what brings the City of San Bernardino together, by having a unified voice, not just in the voice but in the synergy and that's what this represents today. We have to be able to work together. Being here, representing SB County, you see the County working together with the State, and with Caltrans and others here, to bring the synergy and development that would bring jobs to our area. That's what this is about. This is a prime example of how we're meeting that demand so we can market our communtiy, market our region, to bring those jobs forward."