Commuters living near a crowded road in the unincorporated area just east of Escondido are getting some much needed relief, the county announced Wednesday.
County officials broke ground on a $15 million project to improve Bear Valley Parkway, the two-lane road between San Pasqual Valley Road and Boyle Avenue.
The road will be converted to a four-lane highway, with sidewalks, bike lanes, and drought- tolerant landscaping. The project also includes installing utility lines underground and upgrading water and gas lines.
The result should be faster and safer driving for residents, along with improved drainage, according to county officials.
“Sometimes at our corner we have to wait seven, eight minutes to be able to scoot across, and it’s kind of taking your life in your hands sometimes to get across the traffic,” said resident Alisa Scibilia.
Bear Valley Parkway is a heavily traveled roadway along the east side of Escondido. It carries traffic to and from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the Westfield North County mall, several schools and the nearby community of Valley Center.
The county intends to repave the road with a rubberized form of asphalt created from the ground-up remains of around 10,000 old tires.
— City News Service contributed to this report
