The Point: Expect delays, allow extra travel time, use alternate routes
With many people staying home due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, the Riverside County Transportation Commission has scheduled closures on three construction projects in western Riverside County this weekend.
Good weather and fewer cars on the road during this time create ideal conditions for scheduling this trifecta of highway closures for the Route 60 Truck Lanes Project, the Interstate 15 Railroad Canyon Road Interchange Change, and the 15 Express Lanes Project. Motorists who plan to brave the roadways should expect significant delays, allow extra travel time, and use alternate routes. Work will include:
- A full closure of eastbound lanes on Route 60 through the Badlands area between Beaumont and Moreno Valley: Friday, January 8 at 10 p.m. to Monday, January 11 at 5 a.m. Crews for the Route 60 Truck Lanes Project will be relocating 4.5 miles of temporary concrete barrier from the existing eastbound lanes to shift vehicles to the newly paved median. Once lanes are shifted, crews will be able to safely work on the eastbound lanes and outer shoulder. For information, visit rctc.org/60trucklanes, follow @60trucklanes on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or call 866-413-6060.
- A full closure of the southbound I-15 Railroad Canyon Road on-ramp in Lake Elsinore: Friday, January 8 at 8 p.m. to Monday, January 11 at 4 a.m. Crews will be paving the on-ramp and ramp connection to Railroad Canyon Road. The southbound I-15 Railroad Canyon Road off-ramp also will be closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Learn more by visiting rctc.org/railroadcanyon, following @railroadcanyon, or calling 877-500-7715.
- A full closure of the southbound I-15 Hidden Valley Parkway on-ramp in Norco: Friday, January 8 at 9 p.m. to Monday, January 11 at 5 a.m. Crews are making drainage repairs along I-15 as part of RCTC’s 15 Express Lanes Project. In addition, the southbound I-15 to westbound 91 connector will be closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. For details, visit 15project.info, follow @15expresslanes, or call 844-415-9777.
During the past year, RCTC has continued its construction activities across western Riverside County, despite the global pandemic. The agency has eight highway projects under construction, including five that started last year. The projects have created more than 10,000 jobs, helping to offset the economic fallout from COVID-19 and improving the county’s infrastructure, which may lead more businesses to open or relocate to Riverside County.
“As many, many people across Riverside County continue to struggle with unemployment and the reality of this ongoing pandemic, RCTC is helping keep construction workers, engineers, land surveyors, and office personnel employed through these local projects,” said RCTC Chair and Palm Desert Mayor Pro Tem Jan Harnik.