SAN BERNARDINO – (INT) – A bevy of dignitaries hailed completion of the Route 215 widening project Friday.

Deborah Barmack, formerly of SANBAG, says it took 7-years. But, the $647 million project was much more than a freeway improvement.

“It will not only improve transportation and movement of goods, but it has served as a stimulus to reinvent the city of San Bernardino.”

The overhaul included 15 new bridges, four new lanes, two flyovers and the reconstruction of 34 ramps.

For the first time since the old Highway 395 bisected the city, ramps and bridges have been redesigned to reconnect the West Side with downtown.

The recession nearly forced the project onto the back burner. But, federal stimulus funding kept it going through all four phases.

The Route 215 improvements cover 7.5 miles between Orange Show Road and the Route 210 interchange.

Story Date: January 28, 2014