Bradley Road bridge construction to begin in July, officials say

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Bradley Road bridge over Salt Creek, a project that has taken nearly 10 years to come to fruition, is now scheduled to begin construction in July, according to a City of Menifee staff report released this week.

The project will include a 365-foot-long elevated roadway over the dry creek bed, which often floods the existing Bradley Road during heavy rains. While the finished project will improve a heavily traveled route from the Sun City community south to Newport Road, the construction period will present a challenge for commuters.

City officials estimate that Bradley Road will be closed from Rio Vista Drive to Potomac Drive for 12-14 months, according to the project report that can be viewed here on the City’s website. Completion of the project is expected in the fall of 2026. During construction, motorists will be required to take either Murrieta Road or the 215 Freeway as a north-south detour.

“This extended closure is necessary to ensure worker safety in this environmentally sensitive area and to accommodate the limited space available,” a City press release stated on Wednesday. “Due to tight commercial and residential constraints and strict environmental protections for the Salt Creek Wash, a temporary bypass road is not feasible. Constructing the bridge one lane at a time is also not possible under current site conditions.”

The Salt Creek Trail will remain open during construction. A segment of the trail near Bradley Road will be temporarily detoured through the surrounding neighborhood, according to the news release. A detour map is shown at the staff report referenced above.

The $16 million project is funded through a combination of federal, state, county and local sources. Those sources, the news release states, include the City of Menifee’s Quality of Life Measure, Federal funds, Riverside County Flood Control, and Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program (LTCAP) funding.

The project will include bike lanes and sidewalks.

“The Bradley Road Bridge will ensure the ongoing reliability of this critical north-south route and further strengthen public safety response,” said Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin. “We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to construct this vital infrastructure segment that will help prevent any future flooding impacts to Bradley Road.”

“The Menifee Police Department will continue to work closely with the project team and our public safety partners during the construction of the Bradley Road Bridge,” said Police Chief Chris Karrer. “We remain confident that we can provide the highest levels of service while this vital project is completed for our community.”

To provide a project overview and answer questions residents might have, the City of Menifee will host an open house on Tuesday, June 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Sun City Civic Association complex, located at 26850 Sun City Blvd. Residents may also call the construction hotline at 951-614-6328.