The idea of building a six-lane tunnel though the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest to ease traffic is supported by nearly 70% of Riverside County voters, according to a recent poll.
Three hundred voters who attended an economic development summit of government officials responded to the poll. The summit looked at ways of easing traffic congestion along the Interstate 215 corridor south of Riverside.
“There is large scale support among voters in the I-215 south corridor for an alternate route between Riverside and Orange counties,” said Adam D. Probolsky, pollster and president of Laguna Hills-based Probolsky Research, which did the survey.
The survey found 68% of the voters surveyed between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5 supported building the tunnel without imposing new taxes, while 29% opposed its construction. Three percent said they were unsure.
No decision has been made to build a 12-mile tunnel, which could start at Interstate 15 and Cajalco Road in Riverside County and emerge east of Irvine at the 241 and 133 toll roads.
The tunnel would connect people in the Inland Empire with their jobs in Orange County.
The Orange County Transportation Authority is studying a handful of proposals to ease traffic congestion, including the highway through the Cleveland National Forest and another paralleling the Riverside (91) Freeway.
The poll was sponsored by TMG Communications Inc., a Corona-based public affairs agency.
