Good news for drivers in and around Menifee: the city has announced that construction will start next month on the Bradley Road Bridge over Salt Creek. The new bridge will help prevent flooding on Bradley Road when it rains and quicken response times of first responders throughout the city, according to a city news release.

Menifee is building a 365-foot-long bridge on Bradley Road to address flooding that regularly forces the road to close in the rain. This $16 million project is fully funded by federal, state, county and local sources and is expected to be completed by fall 2026.

To complete the project and ensure worker safety, Bradley Road will be closed at the Salt Creek Wash between Rio Vista Drive and Potomac Drive for about a year, according to the city. Commercial and residential constraints and strict environmental protections for the Salt Creek Wash, make a temporary bypass road not feasible, the city said.

The Salt Creek Trail will remain open during construction but a segment near Bradley Road will be temporarily detoured. Detour information will be posted on the project webpage: cityofmenifee.us/BradleyBridge. You can also sign up to receive alerts and notifications about this project.

More projects

A few other road projects in the Inland Empire were included in a recent $1.7 billion funding allocation from the California Transportation Commission for infrastructure projects to strengthen California’s highway system and fix infrastructure damaged in the recent Southern California fires. They are:

A $27.8 million project in Riverside, on the 91 Freeway, east of Tyler Street to Madison Street, to rehabilitate pavement and upgrade sign panels and guardrails.

A $30 million project in Hesperia and Victorville, north of the 15 Freeway and Highway 18 junction, to widen Highway 395 to four lanes, add 14 feet of paved median and add eight feet of shoulder.

Another scam

There’s another scam to be aware of targeting drivers. The Department of Motor Vehicles says it is getting reports from many Californians who are seeing deceptive ads on social media offering help with vehicle registration renewal at discounted rates. The posts ask for payment through online applications and want your license plate, Vehicle Identification Number and the driver’s full name.

State law prohibits the DMV from offering discounted vehicle registration renewals, so ignore these ads if you see one and don’t respond. The DMV does not offer discounts on registration renewals and never asks for payments or personal information through social media. Call the DMV customer service line if you have questions at 800-777-0133.

Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call 951-368-9995.