Visitors to Temecula Valley Wine Country should pay attention to some possible traffic and lane closures in the area as the Riverside County Transportation Department is working to rebuild a 1.1-mile portion of Pauba Road between Via Del Monte and Calle Contento, east of Butterfield Stage Road and the Temecula city limits.

Pauba Road, which runs parallel to Rancho California Road and is a “backdoor” gateway into Temecula Valley Wine Country, will be realigned and widened from the existing 20 feet to 26 feet wide. The work began March 31 and is expected to be completed in the fall, said Felisa Cardona, spokesperson for the Riverside County Transportation Department.

Workers are removing the existing road, grading the terrain to enhance sight distance, and repaving with new asphalt. The project also will improve drainage with new culverts, provide graded shoulders for equestrians, and enhance striping and signage in the area. The work is being done from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Drivers in the area should expect some lane closures.

San Bernardino roadS

San Bernardino will also see some road improvements. The city received almost $3 million from Caltrans to build a raised street medians on a 3.5 mile stretch of E Street between Fairway Drive and 10th Street. The grant was awarded to the city in partnership with Omnitrans. The project will improve traffic safety along E Street, Mayor Helen Tran, who is on the Omnitrans board, said in a news release.

The E Street corridor has been identified as high-risk using accident data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Between March 2019 and March 2024, there were 110 accidents, including two fatalities, along that stretch of roadway, the city said. The Federal Highway Administration found that installing a raised median will help reduce the frequency by about 25% and reduce pedestrian-related crashes by 36%.

The city said it will seek input from area businesses, finish a final design and put out bids for the construction contract before work gets underway.

renewal AGE LIMIT?

Q: Andrea Smith said she heard the Department of Motor Vehicles would not issue a renewal driver’s license to anyone who is 90 or older. Smith asked if there is an age restriction for license renewals.

A: The answer is no. Drivers who are 70 and older in California must renew their driver’s license in person at the DMV every five years, and they can start the process online. California law does not impose any age restrictions for renewing a driver’s license.

“The DMV wants to keep drivers licensed while they can safely operate a motor vehicle. If they have questions about how to renew, the Senior Drivers section of the DMV website provides useful information,” DMV spokesperson Geovana Herrera said.

To see it, go to www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/senior-drivers.

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