Badlands Lane Closure To Last 6 Months, Major Delays Expected

BEAUMONT, CA — Motorists who frequent the stretch of SR-60 between Beaumont and Moreno Valley known as the Badlands are urged to plan ahead when it comes to their upcoming travels. One of two westbound lanes is slated to be closed for approximately six months as the State Route 60 Truck Lanes Project advances.

According Riverside County Transportation Commission officials, crews are in the process of removing the median barrier and excavating the slopes to widen the roadway. This will eventually allow for an additional lane, a truck lane, to be added in each direction.

One of the westbound lanes is set to close on Aug. 22, according to the RCTC. It will be in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until around the end of February.

"Motorists should expect significant delays, allow extra travel time and avoid the area by using I-10 as a detour route," the agency said.

The project, which started about six weeks ago, has kept crews busy installing fencing, removing part of the center barrier and re-aligning some curves thus far, according to an RCTC project update.

"Drivers through the area can see bright yellow excavators, scrapers, and bulldozers dotting the steep hills, as crews work to remove 2.1 million cubic yards of dirt to make room for the wider roadbed," the agency said.

The project is expected to take about two and a half years to complete and cost approximately $113 million.