RTRP Construction Is Finally Underway — Here’s What Riversiders Can Expect in the Next Several Months

Construction is underway on the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP), a long-planned effort to secure the city's power supply by adding a second high-voltage connection to California's electrical grid.

The project – a joint venture between Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) and Southern California Edison – gives Riverside additional power capacity to serve existing and projected electrical demand and avoid blackouts, according to RPU's website.

"RTRP will provide a crucial second point of interconnection to the grid, improving the overall reliability and resiliency of the electric supply in the region," said Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for SoCal Edison. "Riverside only has one connection to the state power grid; if that connection fails, Riverside will have a serious and lengthy power outage. The solution is RTRP."

Active construction began in June 2025 with underground work in Jurupa Valley, according to Monford.

The 10-mile project stretches four miles south from Cantu Galleano Ranch Road to Wineville Avenue in Jurupa Valley with underground power lines, then turns east at 68th Street and runs along the Santa Ana River until it reaches the SCE Wildlife Station with its 230 kV hybrid overhead power lines.

This April and May, Riverside residents will see intermittent traffic to support overhead grading around the Tyler Street and Mandalay Court intersection.

However, Jurupa Valley residents will experience the most disruption in the months ahead, while preconstruction work continues for upcoming segments across Norco and Riverside.

In Jurupa Valley, the northbound lanes on the stretch of Wineville Avenue south to Bellgrave Avenue will see localized lane closures to access underground equipment; sections of Pat's Ranch Road will close with detours to Wineville Avenue to support trenching excavations and equipment installations; and portions of northbound lanes on 68th Street will close intermittently for the same.

As construction continues, project teams use "Dear Neighbor" letters in English and Spanish to notify surrounding neighborhoods ahead of disruptions, Monford said.

Construction on the project is expected to be completed in late 2029, according to RPU.

The project has been in the works since June 2006, when the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) – the independent organization responsible for planning the statewide transmission grid – conducted studies identifying a need for the project. RPU began planning meetings by January 2007.