60 Freeway Lane Through Badlands To Reopen

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A westbound lane that has been closed on the Moreno Valley (60) Freeway through the Badlands since last summer will reopen one week from Thursday to accommodate greater traffic flow, marking a leap forward in the $138 million expansion project on the 5-mile stretch.

According to Riverside County Transportation Commission spokesman John Standiford, the westbound lane was shut down to provide a safety buffer for crews working to excavate and remove dirt and boulders on the north side of the freeway as part of the "State Route 60 Truck Lanes Project."

The lane closure was implemented Aug. 23, and between then and now, Skanska USA workers under contract with RCTC hauled away 1.3 million cubic yards of sediment and rock, Standiford said.

"Reopening the lane now will allow traffic to flow more smoothly during the April festival season in the Coachella Valley," he said. "Closing the westbound lane created safer conditions for motorists and construction crews and saved overall project time.

"Originally planned as a 3.5-year project, the lane closure has reduced a year of construction time and should allow the project to be completed in about 2.5 years, or in late 2021."

In preparation for the March 5 re-opening, nighttime lane closures are occurring this week on the westbound 60, and during the day, California Highway Patrol units are conducting intermittent traffic breaks for the safety of crews, according to Standiford.

The construction zone is located between Jack Rabbit Trail and Gilman Springs Road, spanning the desolate area from the Moreno Valley to the Beaumont city limits, which is sparsely populated and composed of rugged terrain.

The state Route 60 Truck Lanes Project, being funded through Measure A county sales taxes, as well as federal and state grants, entails installing specially designated truck lanes on both the eastbound and westbound sides for safety and to reduce congestion through the area.

A single collision on either side of the narrow four-lane segment has been known to tie up traffic for hours, forcing the CHP to divert motorists back into Beaumont or Moreno Valley, depending on which way they're headed.

In addition to the truck lanes, crews are flattening several of the most curvy road sections to improve motorists' visibility and widening freeway shoulders to 12 feet along the outside lanes, and 11 feet on the inside lanes, adjacent to the center divider, officials said.

The contract further calls for construction of 23 wildlife crossings beneath the corridor, as well as fencing on each side to prevent animals from straying into traffic.

Standiford said that paving will get underway for the new truck lane on the westbound side next month, and after that lane is installed, work will begin on an eastbound truck lane.

More information is available at rctc.org/60trucklanes.

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--City News Service