Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council awards $15M contract to widen Murrieta Hot Springs Road; construction to begin July
Summary
Council approved a roughly $15 million construction contract (plus contingency and $4.8M in supplemental appropriations) to widen Murrieta Hot Springs Road from Via Princessa to Delhaven Street, add sidewalks, bike lanes and lighting, and install a signal at Calle Lago. Construction is expected to begin in July and finish in May 2026.
The Murrieta City Council unanimously approved a construction contract on June 17 to widen a busy stretch of Murrieta Hot Springs Road and add pedestrian, bicycle and safety features.
City engineers told council the project will widen the roadway from four to six lanes between Via Princessa and Delhaven Street, install sidewalks, bike lanes, street lights, landscaped medians and soldier-pile retaining walls, and add a signal at the Murrieta Hot Springs Road and Calle Lago intersection. The work is designed to join the city's ultimate circulation plan and fill a gap between completed paving projects.
Staff said bids ranged from about $15.2 million to nearly $22 million; the low responsive bid was reduced to slightly over $15 million after Eastern Municipal Water District agreed to self-perform pipeline adjustments, and staff recommended awarding the contract to Rove/Grove Engineering with a 15% contingency. The project funding will be a mix of Measure A, street- and highway-dedicated funds and an RCTC grant; staff requested an additional $4.8 million of appropriations (including $3.5M from Measure A) to cover construction and contingency.
Construction is expected to begin in July and take about nine months, with completion targeted for May 2026. Staff and the public-information office described a robust outreach plan: door-to-door notifications for businesses, a "notify me" subscription on the project web page, social-media updates, message boards and coordination with transit providers to relocate affected bus stops. Councilmembers asked staff to monitor signal timing during construction and recommended targeted, hyper-local communications.
Council voted to award the contract (motion by Councilmember Stone; second by Councilmember DeForest) and to appropriate the requested funds; the motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
The city emphasized traffic-management plans during work hours (night and day phasing to reduce peak impacts) and a commitment to continuous updates for affected businesses and commuters.
