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Wildomar prioritizes Bundy Canyon segment 2 for construction, asks RCTC for help as costs rise
Summary
Council directed staff to prioritize Bundy Canyon Road segment 2 for construction, authorized consultant amendments and asked staff to seek extensions and extra funds from RCTC after staff reported utility relocations and estimated cost increases, including an $8.5M reimbursable waterline relocation.
The Wildomar City Council voted on Jan. 14 to prioritize construction of Bundy Canyon Road segment 2 and to direct staff to request additional grant support and possible grant-extensions from the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC).
Public Works Director Jason Feric told council that the city has secured full RCTC funding for Bundy segment 2 (about $13 million) but that the project has incurred cost increases since the original grant application. Staff reported new utility relocations — including an estimated $8.5 million water-line relocation that EVMWD has agreed to reimburse the city — increased construction-administration and environmental compliance costs, and year-over-year construction-cost escalation. Staff estimated total cost increases in the project-development packet and recommended moving segment 2 ahead of the Clinton Keith widening because limited TUMF (Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee) funding and competing regional requests make simultaneous construction unlikely.
Feric said city staff and consultants have advanced design, environmental permitting, mitigation credit purchases and utility coordination; he described the project as close to construction readiness but with remaining permitting and coordination steps. Council also authorized contract amendments with engineering and right-of-way consultants to keep the project moving and noted these amendments are included in the current CIP budget.
Council voted to direct staff to submit a written request to RCTC asking for grant extensions where necessary, to explore additional funding allocations, and to identify alternative funding options. The motion passed 4-0.
Why it matters: Bundy Canyon is a regional corridor that staff and council identified as a high-priority TUMF-eligible project. Advancing segment 2 keeps the city positioned to use grant funding that has been awarded while staff pursue ways to finance or phase follow-on segments and related intersection or signal work.
What’s next: Staff will send a written request to RCTC asking for grant timeline extensions and exploring additional funding options, continue utility coordination with EVMWD, Edison and SoCalGas, and return with updated cost estimates and a procurement schedule for construction advertisement.
