Building a bridge requires years of environmental and engineering studies, design, funding, and finally, construction. The Western Riverside County MSHCP also plays a role in project development to make sure sensitive habitat is protected near the bridge.

The County of Riverside began building the Hamner Avenue Bridge and Widening Project in Norco in early 2021. Driving on Interstate 15, you can see the bridge taking shape above the Santa Ana River.

The project includes two parts:

• Building a new 1,200-foot bridge named after former Mayor Berwin Hanna. The new bridge will have two lanes in both directions with a four-foot-wide median, shoulders, and a multipurpose trail on the east side of the bridge for pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians.
• Widening a 2.6-mile section of Hamner Avenue next to the new bridge. The roadway will have three lanes in both directions to improve traffic flow for the growing area.

Due to its proximity to the sensitive ecological area in the Santa Ana River and Criteria Cells of the MSHCP, the RCA and County of Riverside the MSHCP mitigate potential impacts. Through this process, staff from the RCA (thru the Joint Project Review process), county, and wildlife agencies identified and mitigated impacts to riparian/riverine habitat by conserving more than 15 acres of habitat east of the project limits.  MSHCP-protected species like the Southwestern willow flycatcher, Least Bell’s vireo, and the western yellow-billed cuckoo now have protected habitat. 

To learn more about the project, visit https://www.hamneraveproject.com/