At its May 6 meeting, the SBCTA Board of Directors approved several actions to advance the Interstate 215 Palm Avenue Interchange Project, marking an important step toward relieving congestion and improving mobility in north San Bernardino.
The Palm Avenue Interchange, located between University Parkway and Devore Road, experiences heavy delays due to outdated roadway geometry, limited capacity, and significant truck traffic serving nearby industrial and logistics facilities. The interchange also lacks safe pedestrian and bicycle access. To address these challenges, the City of San Bernardino has identified this location as its top priority for interchange improvements.
To move the project forward, the Board approved a cooperative agreement with the City of San Bernardino to fund and begin preliminary work, including the Project Initiation Document (PID), environmental studies, and final design. The agreement commits a total of $7.3 million for these early phases, with $4.37 million coming from Measure I Valley Freeway Interchange Program funds and $2.93 million provided by the City.
The Board also approved an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Budget to add the project to the SBCTA Interchange Program and initiate work this year. In addition, the Board authorized releasing a Request for Proposals for professional engineering and environmental services needed to prepare the PID and begin the environmental process.
By funding the project through final design, SBCTA and the City will make the interchange “shelf ready,” positioning it to compete for state and federal grants needed for right-of-way acquisition and construction. Early estimates place the full project cost at approximately $115 million, with improvements expected to include ramp widening, intersection upgrades, roadway expansion, and potential replacement of the I-215 undercrossing bridges to address substandard vertical clearances.
These actions allow project development to begin immediately, helping to deliver long-term congestion relief and improved safety for residents, commuters, students, and freight operators who rely on this key corridor.