Road widening, signal will help traffic flow near new school

 This is the view motorists have as they head eastbound on Scott Road toward a 4-way stop at Leon Road.

As construction crews work toward the completion of Liberty High School for its Aug. 4 opening, additional plans are being made to improve public access to the school.

The rural area just east of the Menifee city limits is primarily open fields and sprawling ranches. One can drive east on Garbani Road toward Leon Road – location of the new high school – and see very few vehicles traveling the same route. But traffic in the area is about to increase, and the priority in accommodating the extra traffic around the school is the intersection of Leon Road and Scott Road.

Currently a four-way stop at the intersection of two-lane roads, that location will be expanded with a widening of Scott Road and the installation of a traffic signal there. Carlos Geronimo, principal engineer with the City of Menifee, told City Council members at a March 3 meeting that Riverside County is the lead agency for the project. The City is contributing $230,000 toward it.

According to Perris Union High School District officials, expected enrollment of Liberty High School the first year is 1,008 (freshmen and sophomores only). The Scott-Leon intersection improvements are scheduled to be completed in July.