For the past 20 years, the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) has helped to streamline the region’s transportation infrastructure projects by expediting the environmental permitting process for projects that connect our region’s residents and help our neighbors move safely throughout our communities.

Completing the Hamner Avenue and Bridge Widening project is a prime example of the connection between transportation and conservation. Last month, the County of Riverside Transportation Department (TLMA) and the communities of Norco and Eastvale celebrated the newly completed bridge and renamed it the Mayor Berwin Hanna Bridge, after long-time Norco resident and elected leader, Berwin Hanna.

Linking the cities of Norco, Eastvale, and the unincorporated areas in Riverside County, the Hamner Avenue Bridge was originally built over the Santa Ana River in 1939 and later widened with seismic upgrades in 1978. Eventually, the bridge became outdated and insufficient to keep traffic flowing, and the County decided improvements were necessary and began construction on the new 1,200-foot-long bridge in January 2021. In addition to the structural, seismic, and hydraulic state-of-the-art design, enhancements also featured a broader bridge to increase traffic flow by adding two additional lanes in each direction.

A new, separated 12-foot-wide multipurpose trail was also developed to provide equestrians, pedestrians, and cyclists with a safe access route across the bridge to the Santa Ana River Trail.

Funding from the Coastal Conservancy helped construct access to the Santa Ana River Trail. The project was completed with various funding sources, including Senate Bill 132 state funds, local Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fees, and Federal Highway Bridge Program funds. RCTC, along with the City of Norco, the City of Eastvale, and state and federal legislators, including Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, Senator Richard Roth, and Representative Ken Calvert, advocated for this much-needed funding.

The environmental permitting process for this project was streamlined thanks to the MSHCP, and the completion of this project demonstrates the value of the MSHCP and the balance between preserving the region’s natural habitat and improving infrastructure for our growing communities.