Interstate 215/Van Buren Interchange Reconstruction Project Introduction The existing Van Buren Boulevard Interchange on Interstate 215 (I-215) was reconstructed to accommodate increased traffic demand, satisfy environmental constraints, and maintain a desirable level of service. Located near the cities of Moreno Valley and Riverside in Riverside County, the project extends from the Harley Knox Interchange to the south, and the Cactus Avenue Interchange to the north. The reconfiguration of the existing tight diamond interchange included: the addition of a new eastbound to northbound entrance ramp; realignment and widening of Van Buren Boulevard; replacement of the bridge structures over the railroad and freeway; minor realignment of southbound I-215; the addition of a traffic signal at the northbound ramps, auxiliary lanes along I-215 between Van Buren Boulevard and Cactus Avenue, and acceleration/deceleration lanes south of Van Buren Boulevard. Various aesthetic treatments are on the bridge structures, retaining walls, and decorative landscaping to reflect the area’s military influence. Project Background The interchange reconstruction is a key component of the Meridian Specific Plan, created to support the goals of the March Air Reserve Base (MARB) Master Reuse Plan. In response to the federal government BRAC decision in 1993, the March Air Force Base (MAFB) Realignment converted the property to the March Air Reserve Base. The Realignment incorporated a 1,290-acre portion into an industrial business park and substantially reduced the military use on the existing 6,500 acres. The MARB Master Reuse Plan implemented new land use policies to avoid economic dislocation resulting from the MAFB Realignment and provided access to the adjacent industrial parcels located on the west side of I-215. The project was designed to improve the operation and level of service by increasing the volume and speed of the vehicles, along with providing access to and from the distribution/warehouse centers. Project Need There are few east-west transportation corridors in Riverside County that take commuters to the job centers in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. According to the SCAG State of the Commute Report , Riverside County workers have the longest one way commute averaging 25 miles, and the highest percentage of County residents who leave their County for employment is at an average of 35%. Van Buren Boulevard is an important east-west arterial for the residents of Riverside County that bypasses the congested downtown freeway system connecting Interstate 215 to the 60 freeway and eventually to the 91 freeway. There are many existing homes and businesses that access the interchange, however many motorists avoided it because of the congestion. Prior to the project, motorists experienced delays exceeding 30 minutes just to access the interchange at peak times. Project Benefit Economic This project is part of the Trade Corridor Improvement Fund (TCIF), which was approved for infrastructure improvements along federally designated “Trade Corridors of National Significance,” designating corridors with a high volume of freight movement. This project reduces congestion on Interstate 215, a major north-south trade corridor, as well as provides enhanced access to the existing and future distribution centers located both east and west of the interstate. In addition, the project will provide access for a planned joint use airport (MARB/March Inland Port). Rising congestion increases the costs of doing business in Southern California, encouraging existing firms to relocate elsewhere and threatening the region’s future. By directly addressing the congestion at Van Buren Boulevard and I-215, this project is a key element in preserving existing jobs, and supporting future growth in other business sectors not linked to trade. The capacity increase at the interchange is expected to provide up to $136,521,407 in travel time benefits for commuters per year. Safety Safety improvements implemented in this project included a realignment of the horizontal and vertical elements to increase vertical sight distance along Van Buren Boulevard, and reconstruction of the railroad grade separation to accommodate future Metro Commuter rail. Additional turn lanes and auxiliary lanes were designed to help reduce conflicts between through- traffic and vehicles entering or exiting the freeway. The overall efficiency of the new interchange configuration reduces the potential for accidents attributed to traffic congestion. Environment The total benefit associated with reductions of emissions and greenhouse gases is estimated to save close to $800,000 by horizon year 2035. The project is designed to reduce existing and projected traffic congestion, bringing about a reduction of polluting activity from emissions and mobile source air toxins (MSAT). The regional emissions benefit of this transportation system improvement project is accrued from congestion relief and other positive effects on the transportation system’s performance.
IntroductionThe existing Van Buren Boulevard Interchange on Interstate 215 (I-215) was reconstructed to accommodate increased traffic demand, satisfy environmental constraints, and maintain a desirable level of service. Located near the cities of Moreno Valley and Riverside in Riverside County, the project extends from the Harley Knox Interchange to the south, and the Cactus Avenue Interchange to the north.
The reconfiguration of the existing tight diamond interchange included: the addition of a new eastbound to northbound entrance ramp; realignment and widening of Van Buren Boulevard; replacement of the bridge structures over the railroad and freeway; minor realignment of southbound I-215; the addition of a traffic signal at the northbound ramps, auxiliary lanes along I-215 between Van Buren Boulevard and Cactus Avenue, and acceleration/deceleration lanes south of Van Buren Boulevard. Various aesthetic treatments are on the bridge structures, retaining walls, and decorative landscaping to reflect the area’s military influence.
Project BackgroundThe interchange reconstruction is a key component of the Meridian Specific Plan, created to support the goals of the March Air Reserve Base (MARB) Master Reuse Plan. In response to the federal government BRAC decision in 1993, the March Air Force Base (MAFB) Realignment converted the property to the March Air Reserve Base. The Realignment incorporated a 1,290-acre portion into an industrial business park and substantially reduced the military use on the existing 6,500 acres. The MARB Master Reuse Plan implemented new land use policies to avoid economic dislocation resulting from the MAFB Realignment and provided access to the adjacent industrial parcels located on the west side of I-215. The project was designed to improve the operation and level of service by increasing the volume and speed of the vehicles, along with providing access to and from the distribution/warehouse centers.
Project NeedThere are few east-west transportation corridors in Riverside County that take commuters to the job centers in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. According to the SCAG State of the Commute Report, Riverside County workers have the longest one way commute averaging 25 miles, and the highest percentage of County residents who leave their County for employment is at an average of 35%.
Van Buren Boulevard is an important east-west arterial for the residents of Riverside County that bypasses the congested downtown freeway system connecting Interstate 215 to the 60 freeway and eventually to the 91 freeway. There are many existing homes and businesses that access the interchange,
however many motorists avoided it because of the congestion. Prior to the project, motorists experienced delays exceeding 30 minutes just to access the interchange at peak times.
Project BenefitEconomicThis project is part of the Trade Corridor Improvement Fund (TCIF), which was approved for infrastructure improvements along federally designated “Trade Corridors of National Significance,” designating corridors with a high volume of freight movement. This project reduces congestion on Interstate 215, a major north-south trade corridor, as well as provides enhanced access to the existing and future distribution centers located both east and west of the interstate. In addition, the project will provide access for a planned joint use airport (MARB/March Inland Port).
Rising congestion increases the costs of doing business in Southern California, encouraging existing firms to relocate elsewhere and threatening the region’s future. By directly addressing the congestion at Van Buren Boulevard and I-215, this project is a key element in preserving existing jobs, and supporting future growth in other business sectors not linked to trade.
The capacity increase at the interchange is expected to provide up to $136,521,407 in travel time benefits for commuters per year.
SafetySafety improvements implemented in this project included a realignment of the horizontal and vertical elements to increase vertical sight distance along Van Buren Boulevard, and reconstruction of the railroad grade separation to accommodate future Metro Commuter rail. Additional turn lanes and auxiliary lanes were designed to help reduce conflicts between through-traffic and vehicles entering or exiting the freeway. The overall efficiency of the new interchange configuration reduces the potential for accidents attributed to traffic congestion.
EnvironmentThe total benefit associated with reductions of emissions and greenhouse gases is estimated to save close to $800,000 by horizon year 2035. The project is designed to reduce existing and projected traffic congestion, bringing about a reduction of polluting activity from emissions and mobile source air toxins (MSAT). The regional emissions benefit of this transportation system improvement project is accrued from congestion relief and other positive effects on the transportation system’s performance.
PartnershipThis project was made possible due to the exceptional partnership among agencies. The County of Riverside partnered with Caltrans, March Joint Powers Authority (MJPA), and Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) to move this project forward. The project team sought to include groups that would be affected by the interchange to take an active role in developing the project, including Riverside National Cemetery, MARB, March Field Air Museum, BNSF Railway, Metrolink, the City of Perris, and the City of Riverside.
Innovative FinancingThrough the partnership stated above, this project was able to secure financing through several sources, including Trade Corridor Improvement Fund (TCIF), Surface Transportation Program (STP), Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF), and MJPA Developer Funds. The willingness to take responsibility and commitment by all parties ensured a successful project at a time when resources were scarce.
Innovative SolutionsThis project addressed the future capacity of the interchange and accomplished several goals through its partnership with the surrounding community.
Prior to construction the previous Van Buren bridge structure, over the railroad west of the interchange, did not provide the required vertical clearance to the joint operation of the future passenger Metrolink LRT and freight BNSF Railroad. On the other side of the interchange to the east, the Van Buren Boulevard bridge approach encroached into the MARB clear zone/horizontal clearance. With creative geometric design, the design team developed an alignment that fit within the constraints of the railroad right-of-way, air space for the MARB, and horizontal and vertical clearance related to Interstate 215, and maintained surface access to the National Cemetery.
The striking aesthetics at this interchange include silhouettes of historic aircraft and military emblems that pay tribute to the service units once stationed at March AFB. Images of fighter-jet aircraft, complete with vapor trails in formation, are cast in concrete within the northbound loop on-ramp area, and can be seen from the freeway overcrossing bridge and northbound freeway lanes. This created a dramatic gateway to the MARB, the Riverside National Cemetery, and the adjacent aircraft museum. The aesthetics combined with the design for this interchange reconstruction earned the project an APA (American Planning Association) CA Inland Empire Chapter 2015 Urban Design Award of the Year.
Delivery TimelineProject delivery milestones were critical for this project to secure completive financing. From environmental approval, and final design through right-of-way acquisition, every target funding source was secured. Right-of-way acquisition for this project was challenging due to the process in dealing with the railroad, the national cemetery, and the MARB. The project team managed this process and acquired all clearances on time. The construction of the project started in August of 2012, and the interchange officially opened to traffic in April 2014.
Budget PerformanceThis project was able to take advantage of the depressed economy in 2011/2012, and was constructed under budget with a significant percentage of the contingency fund unspent. Construction cost was approximately $35 million.
Project TeamCounty of Riverside Department of Transportation: Patricia Romo, John Marcinek
Caltrans District 8: Christy Connors, Nader Naguib
Riverside County Transportation Commission: Anne Mayer, Tanya Love
March Joint Powers Authority: Lori Stone, Dan Fairbanks
MARB: Retired General Stan Brown
Design Team: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. – Dennis Landaal, Jason Valencia
Construction Team: Riverside County – Hugh Smith Falcon Engineering Services – Wael Faqih Riverside Construction Company, Inc. – Carl Short, Randy Smith
The agency overseeing redevelopment of former March Air Force Base property near Riverside approved issuing two series of bonds to pay for improvements to the Van Buren interchange and build a new U.S. Vets shelter despite being disappointed that a bond’s value was less than expected.Members of the March Joint Powers Commission were told at a meeting Wednesday that the investing environment for their municipal bonds could be less than ideal. Interest rates are high and there’s an expectation that skittish redevelopment agencies looking to secure funding before the state has a chance to take it away, will unload a flurry of bond offers on the market.“We’re early and we’re hoping that’s an advantage,” said Eric Scriven, senior vice president with De La Rosa & Co. which has been working for about two years with other entities to craft the bond offers.One $21.9 million bond, Series 2011A, would pay for improvements to the Van Buren Boulevard interchange. Leaders of the authority have said that construction of the south campus of the Meridian business park -- home to Tesco’s Fresh & Easy distribution hub and soon food services company Sysco -- is dependent on road improvements as are the estimated 7,500 permanent jobs that would be created as a result.The second is a Series 2011B $9.1 million bond to build a new home for the U.S. Vets
News
Bonds for Van Buren interchange, U.S. Vets approved
The agency overseeing redevelopment of former March Air Force Base property near Riverside approved issuing two series of bonds to pay for improvements to the Van Buren interchange and build a new U.S. Vets shelter despite being disappointed that a bond’s value was less than expected.
By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL | The Press-Enterprise Published: Feb. 16, 2011 Updated: Feb. 23, 2011 6:26 p.m.
program at the base. That bond amount was a few million dollars short of expectations.“I’m greatly disappointed in the difference,” said Richard Stewart, a Moreno Valley councilman and voting member of the Joint Powers Commission during the meeting.Commission members and staff of the authority expected to have $12 million in bond funds to use for the project that had already been scaled back when the original plan to build it near Riverside National Cemetery proved too costly. The current lease for U.S. Vets expires in 2013.The difference was due to higher interest rates and the authority’s conservative estimate that the assessed value of property at the former Air Force base would drop 10 percent. Among the devalued property was $43 million worth of equipment inside the DHL building that has been on tax assessment rolls since 2005 and was recently deducted by the assessor, they said. The shipper has started removing the equipment from the building it hasn’t occupied since December 2008.The interest rate on both bonds was expected to be 7.5 percent to 8 percent by the time the deal closes on Feb. 25. Both bonds were rated BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s and would mature in 30 years.Reach Kimberly Pierceall at 951-368-9552 or [email protected]
Design firms increasingly called on to show varied skill sets
S tate and local transportation agen-cies have grappled with the uncer-tainty over long-term federal trans-
portation funding for so long, it might seem as if make-do, budget-stretching tactics have become the norm rather than simply a coping strategy. With May’s stopgap funding extension—the 33rd since 2008—postponing the debate yet again, the trend toward self-reliance seems destined to continue.
Since the start of 2015, six states have raised their fuel taxes to funnel more money into roads and bridges. Others are exploring bonds and revenue transfers
from other programs to help funnel more money to address maintenance backlogs.
Major projects, especially those involv-ing private-sector participation, continue to move forward, ranging from the $2.3-billion, 21-mile I-4 Ultimate Project in Orlando to the $3.9-billion Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing in New York. Transit projects are also in the mix, in-cluding the $1.65-billion extension of the Southwest Light Rail Transit line in sub-urban Minneapolis.
Transporation design firms say they are increasingly called on to provide a varied skill set. “Technical skills are a
given,” says Terry Murphy, senior vice president for Kimley-Horn, Cary, N.C., whose firm designed the $56.7-million I-215/Van Buren Interchange project in Riverside County, Calif. “Clients are looking for creativity, tenacity and problem-solving skills. With projects be-coming more complex, getting things done is becoming trickier.”
Matt Cummings, executive vice presi-dent for AECOM, also sees growing in-terest in asset management, including optimizing costs for longer life cycles. He describes the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation’s Rapid Bridge Replace-ment Project, which will address nearly 560 structurally deficient bridges state-wide, and the Arizona DOT’s South Mountain Freeway, expected to be awarded later this year, as “full life-cycle operations and maintenance built into design-build projects.”
So-called “soft skills” that enhance the planning and design of both individual projects and multifaceted programs are also in demand, including the ability to better engage with the public.
“Before, we just participated in pub-lic meetings, which typically attracted only opponents,” says Charlie O’Reilly, director of transportation for Omaha-based HDR Inc. “Now, clients have high expectations for us to support bringing projects to the public in ways that are transparent and proactive, including the use of social media, video and other technologies.”
Though simply getting by may be the best agencies can hope for right now, they still must be aware of emerging technol-ogy trends, from autonomous vehicles to automated tolling systems.
But there is a caveat that comes with more sophisticated technology, says Pat Cassity, senior vice president and highway division manager for Pasadena, Calif.-based Parsons. “As technology and com-munications have become a bigger part of our transportation network, cybersecurity is increasingly critical,” he says. Parsons recently opened a Cyber Solutions Center to help clients evaluate and address secu-rity vulnerabilities. n
Tight Budgets Require Firms To Be Versatile
TRICKY Kimley-Horn, I-215/Van Buren Interchange designer, says projects are getting more complex.
By Jim Parsons
#01AECOM, ranked at No. 1 in transportation, sees growing interest in asset management, including optimizing costs for longer life cycles.
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