California Construction News staff writer
The Riverside County Transportation Commission has broken ground on the 8.6-mile Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway project, launching a major roadway expansion aimed at improving east-west mobility and safety in the county.
The project will reconstruct and upgrade Ramona Expressway between Warren Road and about one mile east of Rider Street. Construction is scheduled to run from early 2026 through 2028.
“Big day for Riverside County,” the agency said in a social media post announcing the start of construction. “RCTC and our project partners officially broke ground on the 8.6-mile Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway Project.”
Officials said the work is designed to address long-standing safety concerns along the corridor, which experiences a high rate of collisions. The improvements are part of the broader Mid County Parkway program, a planned 16-mile corridor linking State Route 79 in the Hemet Valley to Interstate 215 in Perris.
The project will add a second travel lane in each direction, install a raised median, upgrade traffic signals and construct a new bridge over the San Jacinto River. A wildlife crossing is also planned.
Transportation officials said the upgrades are intended to reduce crashes, improve travel times and expand access to jobs, education and transit options across the region. The corridor connects to SR-79, I-215 and transit services including the Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line and Riverside Transit Agency routes.
The commission said the Ramona Expressway segment serves as a critical east-west link supporting regional mobility and multimodal access, and represents a key phase in the broader Mid County Parkway effort.
