Update 2:40 p.m. Completion of the $36 million Sunset Grade Separation Project is projected for July 2015, a Banning city spokesman said Tuesday afternoon.
The target date to begin construction is December 2013, said Bill Manis, director of economic development for Banning.
Posted 12:40 p.m. A state allocation of $10 million has been approved for a planned project to lower Sunset Avenue just south of Interstate 10, install a railroad bridge, and replace the I-10 overpass and affected freeway ramps at Sunset, according to Banning city officials.
The total estimated cost of the Sunset Grade Separation Project is $36 million and the target date to begin construction is December 2013, Bill Manis, director of economic development for Banning, said this week.
The plan includes lowering a stretch of Sunset as much as 20 feet in elevation, according to city officials. Closures and duration of closures during construction will be on an intermittent schedule, Manis said.
"We anticipate that by April of 2014, the Sunset Avenue on/off ramps will be closed for approximately 15 months," Manis said. "The detour will be off of 22nd Street and we are planning for Westward Avenue to go through from Highland Home Road to Sunset."
City officials say the Sunset junction with the existing ground-level Union Pacific Railroad crossing and the 10 is "the number one immediate traffic concern" in Banning.
"Sunset Avenue is an existing north-south arterial roadway which crosses under the elevated Interstate 10 and crosses the Union Pacific Railroad tracks at grade," city officials said, describing the current situation.
The volume of trains and trucks traffic hauling goods from ports through the Pass area have increased significantly over the years, and the vehicle wait-time at the current Sunset Avenue grade separation configuration is a growing concern, city officials said.
About 46 trains per day currently pass over the Sunset Avenue crossing, and that number is projected to rise to about 87 trains per day over the next 25 years, city officials said.
In addition, average daily motor vehicle traffic on Sunset Avenue is currently about 16,000 vehicles per day, and the daily average is projected to grow to more than 23,000 vehicles per day over the next 25 years, city officials said.
The California Transportation Commission approved the $10 million allocation on June 11, and it "represents a significant milestone for Banning," Mayor Deborah Franklin said.
"The city has been working to get this project fully funded since 1992 and this funding approval allows the City to finally move forward and gear up for construction," Franklin said.
The remaining $25.9 million for the project will come other funding sources, including $10 million in federal funds, $12.9 million in local funds, and $3 million in railroad funds, according to Franklin.
Benefits of the project will include shorter commute times, improved air quality, and quicker movement of goods on Union Pacific Railroad tracks through Banning, according to city Public Works Director Duane Burk.
"Most importantly, the project will greatly reduce response times for emergency vehicles to areas like the Serrano Del Vista development, increasing safety for both the local community and motorists on nearby Interstate 10," Burk said.
The city of Banning is partnering with Riverside County to oversee construction of the project, Burk said. Other regional partners are the Western Riverside Council of Governments and the Riverside County Transportation Commission. Design plans for the project have been completed.
County officials will oversee bids on the project construction work by August of this year, city officials said.
For more information about the Sunset Grade Separation Project call the Public Works Department at (951) 922-3130.
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