Tami McCarthy moved to Menifee nine years ago. She remembers her first rainy morning commute well. "The first rain when I went to work, I was like, how do I get out of here, this road was flooded," she told Patch on the day the new bridge opened.
Bradley Road is open again over Salt Creek, carried by a 365-foot span the City Council has named Freedom Bridge. Bradley Road was closed for more than a year, so the obvious change is that the road is back. The bigger change is that it now works when it rains. For a long time Bradley Road was a north-south route you could only count on in dry weather. This winter is the first time anyone in Menifee gets to test that.
A Road That Only Worked When It Was Dry
The City's own description of the project is direct. Freedom Bridge "addresses the historic flooding that occurred during rain events." It is meant to "provide reliable north/south connectivity on Bradley Road" and to end the practice of motorists "traveling through moving water during a storm."
People who lived nearby describe the same thing from their side of the wash. McCarthy told Patch she had watched several cars get stranded in the creek crossing over the years. She also said the detour to reach Newport Road was a regular hassle. Lidia Williams, another nearby resident, told the outlet the closures reached past the road: "We also use the walking path a lot and they had to close it out because it was so flooded."
Emergency response was the other reason. At a District 4 town hall in September, Councilman Dean Deines said the bridge would let emergency vehicles reach the Sun City area in heavy rain without the longer route they used to take when the road flooded, as Menifee 24/7 reported.
The days the bridge was built for are the storm days when the crossing used to close.
Thirteen Years on the List, Fourteen Months to Build
The bridge took a long time to arrive. At the October 13 completion ceremony, Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin said the project was formally added to the City's capital improvement plan in 2013, after discussions that started even earlier. "It's gone through three different generations of City Council to get us where we are today," he said, according to Menifee 24/7's ceremony coverage. He credited former Councilman Greg August as one of the project's earliest supporters.
Construction itself went quickly by comparison. Work started in August 2025 and took about 14 months. Before groundbreaking, the advance estimate was 12 to 14 months, so the job finished at the far end of that window. For all of that time, Bradley Road was fully closed between Rio Vista Drive and Potomac Drive. Public Works Director Nick Fidler noted that crews had to relocate several utility lines while keeping service running.
The money came from several places. The City put the total at $16 million, funded by federal, state, county and local sources. Those included Menifee's Quality of Life Measure, Riverside County Flood Control and the state's Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program. Mayor Ricky Estrada thanked Congressman Ken Calvert for helping secure $5 million in federal funding. "That $5 million really pushed us over the edge to get this done," Estrada said at the ceremony.
The bridge opened at the start of October. The City posted its open-to-the-public notice on September 30, and local outlets reported traffic flowing October 1. Patch reported that nobody waited for a formal ribbon. Residents walked out to look, and drivers crossed honking and playing patriotic music. The official ceremony came on October 13. It ended with the Sun City CruiZers making a ceremonial drive across the bridge, followed by the ribbon-cutting.
What's Actually on the Bridge
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 365 feet over Salt Creek |
| Vehicle lanes | One each direction, plus a center turn lane |
| Bikes | Dedicated bicycle lanes |
| Pedestrians | Sidewalks |
| Cost | $16 million |
| Name | Freedom Bridge, recommended by the Veterans and Military Families Advisory Committee |
The name came before the opening. The City Council renamed the Bradley Road Bridge in July, on the recommendation of the City's Veterans and Military Families Advisory Committee, to honor the veteran and military community. Banners for all six U.S. military branches now line the roadway. "I think symbolically, the name is perfect for our city," Councilman Dan Temple said at the ceremony.
The bike lanes and sidewalks matter as much as the car lanes. Before, the crossing failed walkers just as often as it failed drivers. Now people on foot and on bikes have a raised, dedicated way across the creek.
The Bridge Sits on Top of Menifee's Main Trail Corridor
This is the part that changes daily routines most for the people who live closest. The bridge crosses the Salt Creek channel, and the Salt Creek Trail runs along that same corridor.
The Riverside County Transportation Commission describes the Menifee segment as running along the north side of Salt Creek. It has a hard-surface Class 1 bike path next to a soft-surface pedestrian path. RCTC puts about four miles of it in Menifee, between Goetz Road and Antelope Road. A Riverside County Parks staff update dated September 10, 2026 adds a few practical details:
- The trail is open to walking, running, biking and horseback riding.
- Leashed pets are welcome.
- It is designed to be accessible for people with disabilities.
- At one point it passes under the Interstate 215 bridge.
- Motorized vehicles are not permitted, and the update names golf carts and motorcycles specifically.
That last item matters around Sun City, where golf carts are a familiar sight. The trail is not a cart path.
Plan on walking or biking to get there. TrailLink lists no designated parking along the trail.
While the bridge was being built, the City kept the Salt Creek Trail open and sent users on a temporary detour through the neighborhood near Bradley Road. If you got used to that detour last year, check the posted signs at Bradley Road the next time you head out. The bridge's new sidewalks also give you a direct way across the creek to the north or south side.
Riding Rules That Apply on the Trail
E-bikes have been a regular topic at City Hall this year. At the September town hall, Police Chief Dave Gutierrez said enforcement is the department's priority on e-bike safety. The City's ordinance, summarized on the Menifee Police Department's e-bike page, covers bikes and e-conveyances on public paths inside city limits. It allows them on bicycle trails unless signs say otherwise. Under those rules:
- The speed limit on trails is 20 mph.
- Riders must yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal when passing.
- Riders under 18 must wear a helmet.
- Children under 16 may not operate Class 3 e-bikes.
- Headphones and earbuds are not allowed while riding.
- A front white light is required after sunset.
The light rule comes up more often this time of year. Sunsets are early by late October, and they get earlier once daylight saving time ends. This is general information, not legal advice, so read the City's page for the full ordinance and check posted trail signs for anything specific to a segment.
Where the Corridor Goes Next
The long-range plan is much bigger than what exists today. Riverside County describes the Salt Creek Trail as a 16-mile backbone running through Hemet, unincorporated Winchester and Menifee. About 10 miles are still to be built, mostly in Winchester and Menifee, as funding becomes available.
One piece of that future is already tied to a Menifee decision. When the City Council approved buying 398 acres of the Menifee Hills for open space in 2025, the City said the land opens up a possible Salt Creek Trail extension between Antelope Road and Aldergate Drive. That is still a possibility, with no funding or schedule announced. At the September town hall, Deines said the City is looking at ways to add walking and biking trails to the Menifee Hills land.
In the short term, Bradley Road is not the only street drivers should watch. The City's road-work update for the week of October 19 lists several projects expected to run through December 2026. Kaiser Permanente-related underground and street work is underway on Encanto Road from Rouse Road to McLaughlin Road. Richmond American street work is underway on Valley Boulevard from Goetz Road to Thorton Road. The new traffic signal at Craig Avenue and Evans Road is still under construction, with completion expected by the end of December. With Bradley open, there's one more north-south option for getting around those projects.
The first strong storm of the season will be the first time Freedom Bridge gets tested the way it was designed to be.
If you're in Sun City or anywhere along the Bradley Road corridor and wondering how projects like this play into your home's value or your next move, Zachary Frausto keeps track of what's changing street by street across Menifee and is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.
