Traffic Signal Approved For Dangerous Tuscany Hills Intersection

The intersection of Summerhill Drive and Via Scenica in Lake Elsinore is expected to become safer in the months to come.

During Tuesday night’s Lake Elsinore City Council meeting, a traffic signal at the dangerous intersection was approved with a 5-0 vote.

The $250,000 improvement in the Tuscany Hills community is long overdue, according to council members.

“This has been a dangerous intersection for a very, very long time,” said Councilman Steve Manos, who noted that his wife witnessed a serious crash at the crossing about three months ago.

Manos also recalled watching a child almost get hit by a vehicle as he used the crosswalk at the intersection.

Councilman Daryl Hickman concurred.

“I can tell you numerous stories,” he said, adding that nearby Tuscany Hills Elementary School is all the more reason to make the improvement for the safety of local kids.

Mayor Bob Magee recalled that installation of a signal at the intersection was considered more than two decades ago, but then-city staff and council members never mandated the project, which he said should have been an obligation of developers who built in Tuscany Hills.

Summerhill Drive winds up and down a steep, curvy hill. Via Scenica is also a sloped grade on the northwest side of Summerhill.

Councilman Brian Tisdale told city staff that as development continues in the city, any construction in hilly terrain must have appropriate stop signs and signals. Hickman urged the same.

Interim City Engineer Ati Eskandari told council members that the biggest concerns at the intersection are blocked sight distance and speed.

Summerhill is posted at 45 mph but the limit drops at Tuscany Hills Elementary.

The project is expected to wrap up in approximately eight months, Eskandari said.

Repaving at the site recently concluded and Eskandari said repainting of crosswalks and other striping is expected this week.