'Corona Crush' Closure Approved For 6-Mile Stretch Of 91 Freeway
CORONA (CBSLA.com) — Inland Empire drivers are about to get a taste of its own "Carmageddon" as officials have approved the weekend full closure of both sides of a 6-mile stretch of the Riverside (91) Freeway.
The closure, which will shut down the eastbound and westbound lanes of the freeway between the 71 and 15 freeways between Feb. 19 and Feb. 22, is part of the 91 Project in Corona. Crews will complete construction of a bridge at the Maple Street exit, install support beams for the new westbound Maple Street flyover ramp bridge and pave the new eastbound 91 alignment near the I-15 during the closure.
The infamous "Corona Crush" is notoriously gridlocked, carrying 280,000 vehicles a day between the residential Inland Empire communities and jobs in Orange County.
The proposal, which had been approved Wednesday night, drew comparisons to the "Carmageddon" closures on the San Diego (405) Freeway, when a 10-mile stretch of freeway was closed in 2011 and 2012 to allow for the demolition and construction of a bridge. Drivers heeded warnings to stay away, and traffic was surprisingly light for most of the region during those events.
The closure is expected to start at 9 p.m. on Feb. 19 and end at 4 a.m., Feb. 22. The Riverside County Transportation Commission recommended motorists use the 57, 60 and I-10 as alternate routes.
A public meeting to discuss the local impact of the closure is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Corona Public Library, 650 S. Main Street. The meeting will also be available online for people unable to attend in person.
In the event of rain, the Feb. 19-22 closure will be postponed to the following weekend, weather permitting.