With the help of a $3 million federal grant, Highland can modernize a major transportation hub, shorten commute times and reduce traffic.
The improvements will be made to the 210 Freeway at Fifth Street.
Due to population growth and the creation of new housing units, there are significant traffic congestion at the Highland Junction.
“This will allow people to get to their destination faster,” said Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar of San Bernardino during a news conference Wednesday, Aug. 7, near the site.
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Aguilar and his staff helped secure the grant for what was known as the Fifth Street Interchange Project.
The project is in the planning phase.
Construction includes widening the underpass between Greenspot Road and Fifth Street. The westbound on- and off-ramps of the freeway will also be widened. A new lane will be built on the westbound on-ramps. On the eastbound side, an additional turn lane will be added to the off-ramps and an additional lane will be added to the on-ramps.
The road under the Highway 210 bridge and the Fifth Street interchange is also slated to be widened because, as Highland City Manager Carlos Zamano said, it is “narrow and causes a lot of congestion.”
Zamano expects work to begin in five years and construction to be completed about two years later.
Motorists use the transportation hub to reach San Bernardino International Airport, the city of San Bernardino and the southern portion of Highland, so a smoother traffic flow is desirable, officials said.
“Without this $3 million federal grant, it would have been very difficult to complete this project,” Zamano said.
The money comes from the $17 million federal grant the Inland Empire received this year for infrastructure projects. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and Caltrans also contributed to the funding.
“We want people to be able to get to work and home without being disrupted by traffic,” Zamano said.
Last year, the city added a lane to the 210 Freeway, stretching from Highland Avenue to San Bernardino Avenue.
Updates on the project can be found here.
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