Eastbound 91 Freeway in Corona to close again all weekend – Orange County Register

By David Downey | Contributing Author

Southern Californians heading west to frolic in the sand or east to visit Inland Empire friends are being urged to avoid the 91 freeway in Corona this weekend.

For the third time in recent weeks, a transit company is preparing to close every eastbound lane of the busy artery connecting Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties all weekend.

Aaron Hake, deputy executive director of the Riverside County Transportation Commission, said the location of this closure could cause significant delays on the west side as well, although the westbound 91 remains open.

“I urge you to stay away from the 91,” Hake said in a news conference on Tuesday morning, October 18.

As part of an ongoing $12.6 million project to add new sidewalks, the agency intends to repave the entire eastbound 91 between Lincoln Avenue and Main Street from 10 p.m. Friday, October 21 through 10 p.m. Monday, October 24. Closing at 5 a.m. Oct.

Also planned are the closures of the eastbound 91 express lanes of Riverside County and the eastbound 91 ramps at Serfas Club/Auto Center Drives, Maple Street and Lincoln.

The commission reopened the lanes and ramps on Sunday night of the last closure all weekend and will seek to finish work early again, Hake said. But he said there was “no guarantee” of an opening before 5am on Monday.

“There’s a lot of work for our crews,” he said.

The operation will involve paving the entire highway, from the toll lanes on the left to the right shoulder, Hake said.

Lengthy backups on eastbound 91 are expected to extend west to Tollway 241 in Orange County, agency officials said.

Hake said the traffic delays, while significant during the two most recent closures that began on September 16 and 30, will be worse this time.

During those earlier closures, he said, drivers could connect to Freeway 15 and bypass the work zone.

“It was kind of a relief valve,” he said.

Since work this weekend is further west, the 15 doesn’t help.

Drivers going east to Corona must disembark at Lincoln Avenue, Hake said.

At this point, motorists have two choices. One will be to follow the recommended detour, which consists of turning around and going west on 91, then north on 71 to reach 60 and bypass the restricted area, Hake said. The other option is to navigate the congested streets of Corona City to travel further east.

Because neither option is attractive, the commission is asking drivers not to head east to Corona and instead take the 57 freeway north to the 60.

Those drivers entering Corona are urged to head north on 71.

Because many drivers will turn around in Lincoln and head back west, Hake said motorists should expect delays on the westbound 91. And expect heavy traffic on the 71 northbound.

Weekend travelers should also consider taking the train, Hake said.

“Metrolink is a great alternative to bypass the closure,” he said.

The paving project, which began in the summer and targets the area between Lincoln and 15, will be completed by the end of the year, Hake said. But before that, he said there will be at least two other major closures, and these will affect Westbound 91.

An earlier closure scheduled for August was canceled and pushed back to September.

Information: rctc.org/91refresh or SMS 91REFRESH to 77222