Grill of the city
Richard A. Quirk
Principal and senior project manager
STV
“The construction business in the Inland Empire is booming, especially in residential development, thanks to the relatively lower cost of living compared to LA and Orange County,” says Quirk. This demographic change, in turn, has boosted transportation projects throughout the area. Major projects include the widening of SR-91 and I-15 in Riverside County and the Brightline West high-speed rail, which has a terminus in Rancho Cucamonga.
One notable move has been a refocusing of highway expansion to reduce vehicle miles traveled and promote sustainable transportation options. “As a result, we expect future investments to prioritize rail and transit expansions over new highway expansions,” notes Quirk, “with the long-term trend toward more integrated multimodal transportation solutions that provide reliable alternatives and ecological driving”.
Like much of the industry, the region is experiencing challenges related to staffing, materials and inflation. “Finding qualified talent is becoming increasingly difficult,” adds Quirk.
