The city welcomes Applebee's, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and Jersey Mike's Subs to the northwest corner of Newport and Haun roads. Construction began in early January and is expected to be completed this spring.

Construction also began on Menifee's second McDonald's restaurant located on the south side of Newport Road between Bradley and Winterhawk roads. Additionally, grading will begin later this month for a new Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, the third in Menifee. It's being built on the northeast corner of Highway 74 at Trumble Road. Both restaurants are expected to be completed this spring.

"We're kicking off the new year with some great projects that will bring more dining options to Menifee," said Economic Development Director Jeff Wyman. "This is just the start of what's to come as the city is working with entertainment amenities, retail outlets and dining establishments interested in becoming part of our community and doing business here."

Applebee's is a casual dining family restaurant with a welcoming, neighborhood feel. It offers a full American menu that includes Weight Watchers-endorsed entrees. The chain recently announced a redesigned kids menu with more healthy options.

At Five Guys Burgers and Fries, there are more than 250,000 ways to order a burger, and the french fries are cooked in peanut oil. Started by the Murrell family (mom, dad and five boys) in 1986 with one burger stand, the restaurant has reached a cult-like following and the burgers are consistently highly ranked in various polls.

  Jersey Mike's Subs continues the tradition that began in 1956 at Mike's Subs on New Jersey's famous Jersey Shore. Authentic tasting submarine sandwiches are made "Mike's way" or to order in front of the customer, served on freshly-baked rolls.

For more information about these new restaurants, contact Economic Development Director Jeff Wyman at (951) 672-6777 or [email protected].

Residents should be aware of a house number painting scam reported to be happening in Menifee, specifically in the Sun City neighborhood. Non-licensed painters go into neighborhoods and paint house numbers on the curb in front of homes, unsolicited, without asking homeowner permission. Once the numbers are painted, they ask the resident to pay for the work.

These painters are operating illegally and residents are not obligated to pay for the work, nor should they provide any personal information. Furthermore, residents are not required to have house numbers on the curb, only on the front of the house.

The city asks residents to report any curbside painting activity by calling the code enforcement hotline at (951) 246-6214.

The city of Menifee does not grant business licenses to these types of businesses and they are in violation of city codes. These unauthorized painters are defacing public property (the curb is part of the city street) and will be cited accordingly.

Travelers may notice a smoother, quieter ride along Newport Road between Antelope and Menifee roads when the widening project is completed. It's a result of the asphalt mixture of ground-up pavement and recycled tires used to resurface the street.

"This rubberized asphalt is a win/win for the city and for the environment," said Interim City Manager Rob Johnson. "Using this technique saves the city about $1 million on this project and the final product is stronger, quieter and longer lasting."

Menifee received a $125,000 grant from CalRecyle, the state's recycling agency, to help pay for use of paving technology that reuses existing asphalt material and then adds rubber from repurposed tires to create a stronger - and quieter - roadway surface.

In a traditional paving project, the existing asphalt is dug out and hauled away, and new material is trucked in. In this new, environmentally friendly approach, the roadway is rebuilt in three steps. One layer of existing asphalt is ground into rock material, stored nearby, and then fortified with cement to make it stronger when it is reapplied. A second layer of the reused asphalt is added. A final layer is then laid down from the surfacing material made by blending ground-up recycled tires with asphalt.

It's longer lasting because it's more flexible, and it's quieter for motorists and nearby residents because the softer surface absorbs the sound. Also, the rubberized asphalt for this project will keep about 7,000 tires out of landfills.

The paving material, technically called rubberized asphalt, saves money because it is applied at a reduced thickness compared to conventional asphalt overlays and is more durable, according to CalRecycle. The agency notes that a two-inch-thick surface of rubberized asphalt uses about 2,000 scrap tires for each mile of lane.  

Digging out old concrete on Newport Road to prepare for the three new layers of rubberized asphalt.

Menifee is launching 2014 with new businesses opening, others under construction and more in discussions to locate here.

The city welcomes Fitness19, which opened in December at the corner of Murrieta and Newport roads, and Dollar Tree, which recently opened in the Sun City Shopping Center on Cherry Hills Boulevard.

Two new auto part stores are coming to Menifee. O'Reilly Auto Parts is under construction at the corner of Murrieta and Newport roads and AutoZone is making interior tenant improvements to their new store at Murrieta and Newport roads. AutoZone expects to open this summer.

Work on Menifee Town Center continues with asphalt added at the entrance of Town Center Drive and Newport Road. Curb, gutter and utility work is also underway on Town Center Drive.  

Dollar Tree employees along with Menifee Economic Development Director Jeff Wyman (second from left), Interim City Manager Rob Johnson (third from left) and Councilmember Greg August (center), celebrate the store's opening.

"The Menifee Moving Capital Improvement Program is an ambitious plan that will improve traffic circulation on Menifee's main thoroughfares," said Interim City Manager Rob Johnson. "We've made impressive progress during the past six months on all projects, and we are continuing the momentum in 2014 with the start of the Interstate 215/Newport Road interchange project and preliminary design work on the others."

Projects near completion

Newport Road widening which adds one lane in each direction on Newport Road from Antelope to Menifee roads is nearly finished. The final layer of rubberized asphalt was applied last week, road striping is complete, and traffic signals are being added. Soon, three lanes of new roadway will be ready for the community to enjoy. The traffic signal coordination is ongoing and median landscaping will be completed later this spring.

The Menifee Road "missing link" project to pave the dirt portion of Menifee Road between Aldergate Drive and Simpson Road is scheduled for completion in March. This portion of the road is nearly at grade with Simpson Road and curbs, gutters, storm drains and utilities are being installed. Paving and striping will be completed in February and this important north/south connector will be complete and open to through traffic in March.

Projects ready to begin

The interchange project will provide easier freeway access and more through-lanes over the freeway, helping to alleviate traffic congestion on Newport Road. With this final funding commitment the project is set to begin with utility relocation this spring.

Requests for proposals for final design work on the Holland Road overpass project and McCall Boulevard/Interstate 215 project were released in January and a design firm will be selected for each project in February. The design phase typically takes 12-18 months and includes feasibility studies, environmental impact studies, permitting and other steps as mandated by state and federal agencies.

For more information, visit the city's website at www.cityofmenifee.us/constructionupdates.