News Release

City of Victorville to Host Green Tree Extension Ribbon Cutting Ceremony & Community Celebration Event includes classic car show & fun walk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2023

VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Today, the City of Victorville announced that it will host a ribbon cutting ceremony and community celebration of its Green Tree Extension on May 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the newly-constructed Green Tree Bridge. Community members are invited to join in this special event that will feature a classic car show, DJ, food trucks, and fun walk of the Green Tree Bridge before it is open to traffic. Refreshments and souvenir t-shirts will be provided free of charge to attendees while supplies last. Entrance to the event is via Coad Road, just south of the intersection of Hesperia Road and Green Tree Boulevard. VVTA shuttle buses will be available to transport guests from the parking area to the event location, a distance of at least half a mile.

The Green Tree Extension creates another East/West corridor to benefit the Victor Valley by providing much-needed travel alternatives to Bear Valley Road and Hwy 18. Crews have entered the final phase of constructing this massive infrastructure project that extends Green Tree Boulevard 1.5 miles from Hesperia Road to Ridgecrest/Yates Road connecting the communities of Victorville and Apple Valley. Barring any unforeseen delays, the Green Tree Extension will be open to traffic soon after the celebration event.

“We have been proud to carry the torch of the great visionaries who first imagined this monumental project 50 years ago,” said Victorville Mayor Debra Jones. “We couldn’t be more excited to build this new East/West corridor for the benefit of the entire Victor Valley.”

The Green Tree Extension was first envisioned in the 1970’s. The project was added to the Victorville General Plan in 1988 and became a viable project in 2007. Integral to the project is a 600-foot-long bridge that will travel over the BNSF railroad. It is the longest bridge in Victorville.

The intersection of Green Tree Boulevard and Hesperia Road was widened, a new traffic signal was installed, and new turn lanes were added. A new traffic signal was also installed on the east side of the extension where Green Tree Boulevard connects to Ridgecrest Road. Ridgecrest Road has been widened to four lanes. Bike lanes were added throughout the length of the project creating a larger bike lane loop nearly seven miles long connecting the Mojave Riverwalk to Hesperia Road and 7th Street.

Total cost for the Green Tree Extension is approximately $46.8 million. San Bernardino County Transportation Authority contributed $22.7 million, the City of Victorville $15 million, the Town of Apple Valley nearly $4 million, and the County of San Bernardino approximately $900,000. Additionally, a federal earmark of $4.2 million originally designated for the High Desert Corridor was authorized for construction of the Green Tree Extension.

To pay its portion, the City of Victorville has contributed $6.6 million in cash and is financing the remaining portion via a loan agreement with SBCTA that will be paid off utilizing future road development impact fees.

“Our community has eagerly-anticipated the Green Tree Extension for many years, and we look forward to joining with our community, construction team, and funding partners to celebrate on May 20. All are invited to come out to this festive event,” said Mayor Jones.

The City’s community celebration is sponsored by the Green Tree Extension construction team of Dokken Engineering, Parsons, and Skanska.

Learn more about the Green Tree Extension Celebration and register to participate in the car show at VictorvilleCA.gov/greentree. Pre-registration for the car show is free and required. Space for show cars is limited to 60 maximum. No day-of registration will be permitted. Questions can be directed to (760) 245-5551.

Located in Southern California at the high-point between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Victorville is the leading city for both industry and retail in the High Desert region. Victorville is a growing, vibrant community that is home to approximately 135,000 residents and some of the area’s largest employers. Clean air, abundant mountain vistas, family-friendly recreational activities, spectacular sunsets and breathtaking night skies entice locals and visitors alike to fall in love with this city that is within a few hours of SoCal beaches, National Parks, mountain retreats, and other major attractions. Ontario International Airport is less than an hour away. Learn more about the City of Victorville at VictorvilleCA.gov.

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Contact: Sue Jones, Public Information Officer.