I-15 / French Valley Parkway Improvements Project, Temecula & Murrieta, CA
- Client: BonTerra Consulting, Inc., Costa Mesa, CA
- Project Owner/Operator: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
- Lead Agencies: City of Temecula (for CEQA) & Caltrans (for NEPA)
- Cost: $140 million
The proposed I-15/French Valley Parkway Improvements Project covers 4.1 miles of the I-15 and I-215 freeways in the Cities of Temecula and Murrieta. The purpose of the project is to improve traffic flow and enhance safety by reducing congestion. The project includes the construction of a brand new partial cloverleaf interchange at French Valley Parkway, a collector/distributor road (C/D) system, improvements to existing ramps and mainline lanes, and new ramps, bridges and freeway to freeway connectors.
As a Type I highway project (i.e., new construction or reconstruction) the project required analysis of potential noise impacts relative to the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Noise Abatement Criteria (NAC). Wieland Acoustics provided the Noise Technical Study which included short-term and 24-hour noise measurements at sensitive locations throughout the study area, preparation of a calibrated computer traffic noise model using FHWA TNM software (Version 2.5), prediction of future traffic noise levels using TNM, assessment of impacts, and analysis of the feasibility and reasonableness of sound walls in the study area. All work was completed in accordance with Caltrans protocol and the study was subsequently approved by Caltrans and FHWA.