Historic 395 Workshop

Residents and business owners will get another chance to weigh in on the Highway 395 Corridor Study for Southwest Riverside County, a joint effort between the cities of Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta, and Temecula.

The study is examining a 16-mile stretch of Highway 395 that runs through the cities, just west of the 15 Freeway.

Two separate workshops are being held this month on the study. The first will take place at 6 p.m., March 15, at the Temecula Civic Center, 41000 Main Street; the second will be held at 6 p.m. on March 22 at Wildomar City Hall located at 23873 Clinton Keith Road.

The March 15 workshop will focus on the Murrieta-Temecula area of the corridor, and the March 22 event will focus on the Wildomar-Lake Elsinore area. Download the flyer.

Community members got a chance to weigh in on the study at the Murrieta Public Library. The workshop was also part of the Historic Highway 395 Corridor Study that seeks to develop a comprehensive transportation and land use plan for the shared north-south corridor. Read more about the study .

Challenges and opportunities were identified during the November workshop, and attendees also offered their ideas on what the planned corridor project should accomplish. Some saw the roadway as a “destination” in Southwest Riverside that could attract tourists to the area if a mix of businesses and residential were developed along the historic thoroughfare. Others viewed the corridor as a possible high-speed route that could help alleviate congestion on the heavily traveled 15 Freeway.

But concerns were expressed. Some worried the corridor might not complement the rural character of nearby communities. (about Wildomar’s plans for a historic destination that could potentially be situated along the corridor.)

to read more about the Nov. 17 meeting.

Old Highway 395 was once a significant roadway through what is now considered Southwest Riverside. The route entered Temecula heading over to Old Town, up Front Street onto Jefferson Street, then jogged left at Ivy Street through Murrieta, and continued north into Wildomar and Lake Elsinore. In the mid 1900s, the highway shifted east through Menifee and Perris Valley.

Caltrans is the primary source of funding for the Historic Highway 395 Corridor Study. The public is encouraged to learn more by visiting the project website and signing-up for email updates at www.highway395corridorstudy.org.