Thanks to the RCA’s streamlined environmental permitting process, the Riverside County Transportation Commission and project partners were able to speed up delivery of the newly opened Interstate 215 Placentia Avenue Interchange Project in Perris.

The new interchange opened December 13, providing a new way for motorists in the Perris and San Jacinto valleys to access I-215. The Placentia Avenue Interchange features new on- and off-ramps, a wider bridge over I-215 with new lanes on Harvill Avenue and Indian Road, new sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and even a barrier-separated equestrian path. To reduce flooding in the area, crews constructed detention basis east of I-215 along Placentia Avenue

The environmental permits held by the RCA helped accelerate construction of this project. Without streamlining provided by the MSHCP, these types of transportation projects would take longer to complete at significantly higher costs.

RCTC, working in partnership with Caltrans, the Federal Highways Administration, County of Riverside, and City of Perris, began project construction in August 2020. Throughout construction, the project created more than 400 jobs.

The I-215 Placentia Interchange is the first completed segment of the Mid County Parkway, a 16-mile planned corridor between Perris and San Jacinto. Through the MSHCP permitting process, the entire corridor is environmentally cleared. The Mid County Parkway project will provide funding for habitat acquisition through the MSHCP, helping to protect 146 native animal and plant species for future generations.