The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) is pushing ahead on a $178 million plan to add a lane to eastbound State Route 91 in Corona, a stretch of freeway used by more than 300,000 vehicles a day.

The SR-91 Eastbound Corridor Operations Project, known as the 91 ECOP, would build a three-mile, non-tolled auxiliary lane on eastbound SR-91 between the SR-241 connector and SR-71 near Green River Road. The work also includes widening two bridges, constructing retaining walls, rockfall mitigation, replacing overhead signs and building a new two-lane exit ramp at Green River Road, according to the RCTC project page.

The project is in its pre-construction phase. Engineering and environmental studies were expected to wrap up in fall 2026, according to RCTC.

Federal grant and funding

RCTC secured a $25 million federal BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help advance the project, the commission announced in July. The full design and construction cost is estimated at $178 million, funded through a combination of federal, state and local dollars plus toll revenues.

Rep. Ken Calvert announced the grant as part of $50 million in federal funding for Riverside County transportation projects.

RCTC Chair Raymond Gregory said in the commission's July announcement that the grant funding "will help improve traffic operations on the 91."

Contracts on the agenda

The commission's Nov. 10 agenda listed several contracts tied to the project for consideration. They included a Progressive Design-Build Phase 1 contract with Myers & Sons Construction, LLC, for a total not to exceed $28,977,889, and a project and construction management agreement with Parsons Transportation Group, Inc., for a total not to exceed $6,852,199.

The agenda also listed a cooperative agreement with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) for its estimated fair-share contribution of $102,280,943 toward the project.

A separate RCTC agenda item listed a cooperative agreement with Caltrans for construction and inspection services not to exceed $5,656,000.

RCTC had anticipated awarding a Progressive Design-Build contract in late 2026 to design and build the project, with construction anticipated to begin in 2028.

The next RCTC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2026.