RCTC awards SR‑79 financing feasibility study to HNTB to seek $1 billion‑plus construction funding

Riverside County Transportation Commission staff recommended and the committee approved an award to HNTB Corporation to perform the State Route 79 Innovative Financing and Feasibility Study (SR‑79 IFFS), a two‑phase effort to identify funding and delivery options for SR‑79 segments.

“Before I discuss the SR‑79 IFFS, I wanted to provide an overview,” said Joy Edeles Yanez, the project manager for SR‑79, who told the committee the study will explore funding and financing pathways, design enhancements to improve grant competitiveness and alternative delivery methods.

Staff said SR‑79 was shifted to be a county facility and split into three segments. Design for Segment 3 is underway, but construction funding remains the primary hurdle: staff reported a $220 million need for Segment 3 construction by 2028, $499 million for Segment 2, and $340 million for Segment 1 — figures staff noted are in 2024 dollars and will rise with inflation. Combined, those needs exceed $1 billion.

RCTC released a request for proposals in May 2025 and shortlisted three firms; following interviews, HNTB was selected because staff said it offered broad monetization options and demonstrated understanding of RCTC financials. Phase 1 of the study will collect information and rank up to seven funding alternatives, with a short list of three by year‑end; Phase 2 will do deep dives into the top three alternatives including conceptual engineering, cost estimating, traffic and revenue modeling, and feasibility assessment, with completion anticipated in mid‑next year and a commission briefing in the fall.

Edeles Yanez said the study will be funded with RCTC’s TUMF Regional Arterial funds as previously approved and recommended award of the SR‑79 IFFS to HNTB. The committee voted to approve the award.

The study will evaluate financing tools (for example public‑private partnerships, grant monetization, bonding and other options), potential design enhancements to improve grant competitiveness, and delivery methods to accelerate construction. Staff emphasized the study’s goal is to identify viable pathways to meet construction schedules and inform future commission decisions.