The 301-day design-build project will relocate the City Clerk's Office to the ground floor and add a grab-and-go food area, funded partly through Measure Z reserves.
An impossibly yellow prickly pear cactus bloom stands out on Mt. Rubidoux, surrounded by buds just beginning to open. (Rachel Williams) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
RTRP Construction Is Finally Underway — Here’s What Riversiders Can Expect in the Next Several Months
The Riverside Transmission Reliability Project is now under active construction — with lane closures expected across Jurupa Valley in the months ahead.
The Riverside Transmission Reliability Project corridor, where RPU and Southern California Edison are building a second high-voltage connection to the state power grid.
A decade-long effort to give Riverside a second connection to the state power grid is now under construction — bringing lane closures to parts of Jurupa Valley, Norco, and Riverside through 2029.
Why it matters: Right now, Riverside runs on a single grid connection. If it fails, the whole city loses power. The Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP) fixes that — but construction will disrupt local roads for years.
What to expect near you: This April and May, watch for intermittent traffic near Tyler Street and Mandalay Court.
Jurupa Valley sees the heaviest near-term disruption: lane closures on Wineville Avenue and 68th Street, plus road closures on Pat's Ranch Road with detours.
The backstory: CAISO identified the need for this project in 2006; RPU began planning in January 2007. The joint RPU–Southern California Edison project has been nearly two decades in the making.
By the numbers: The underground and overhead line route runs 10 miles, stretching from Jurupa Valley east along the Santa Ana River to an SCE substation.
What's next: Construction wraps in late 2029. Affected neighborhoods will receive "Dear Neighbor" notices in English and Spanish before disruptions begin.
Sazón and Cultura Bring Riverside's Tamale Festival Together
The Spanish Town Heritage Foundation's 13th annual Tamale Festival returned to White Park on April 18, bringing food, ballet folklórico and Ozomatli in honor of the Trujillo Adobe's historic designation.
Ozomatli performs under the decorated White Park gazebo at the 13th annual Riverside Tamale Festival on April 18, 2026, as attendees crowd the stage. (Courtesy of the 13th annual Riverside Tamale Festival)
Hundreds gathered at White Park on April 18 for the Spanish Town Heritage Foundation's Tamale Festival, celebrating Chicano culture and the Trujillo Adobe's recent historic designation.
Why it matters: The festival offered a rare opportunity to experience regional ballet folklórico, authentic tamales, and live music — all rooted in Riverside's Chicano cultural heritage.
Driving the news: This year's theme, "Todos Juntos" ("All Together"), marked the Trujillo Adobe's addition to the National Register of Historic Places last May.
What was there: Food vendors including The Original Tamale Co. drew long lines, while the White Park gazebo hosted mariachi and Ballet Folklórico de Riverside throughout the evening.
Ozomatli — the L.A. band known for blending cumbias and rancheras with reggae and hip-hop — closed out the night.
What they're saying: "All of us came from different places, different traditions and different music," said Ozomatli's Ulises Bella. "But the common factor was trying to get people to dance."
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