Public comment heard on bypass road between Banning & Cabazon

Caltrans and Riverside County Department of Transportation officials hosted a meeting Thursday evening to get public input on the proposed construction of a bypass road between Banning and Cabazon.

The proposed project would improve transportation facilities, connecting Banning and Cabazon as well as provide an alternate route between the two cities in the event of a closure on the I-10.

Read: Freeway bypass set to connect Banning & Cabazon

Many Banning residents agree this improvement is needed and has been for some time.

“They have to have a way when the freeway shutdowns stuck in that 7-hour crash need a place to put people,” said Don Smith, a Banning resident.

Officials said the bypass would initially consist of two lanes, but would eventually be expanded to four to meet growing traffic demands. The cost of the project is estimated to be around $50 million to $80 million.