INDIO (CNS) – Get ready for another of what officials are predicting will be one of the busiest traffic days of the year as the second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Art Festival gets ready to kick off Friday. As a result, Caltrans authorities identified a series of routes likely to be problematic for festival-goers and locals alike.
Music fans began their pilgrimage through the Inland Empire to Indio Thursday for Weekend 2 of the Coachella festival, and despite the availability of the Any Line Shuttle that can carry visitors between the festival grounds and area hotels, major congestion is still anticipated on multiple routes.
Caltrans officials said the 10 and 60 freeways are both expected to be extra congested through the festival's run.
``Motorists who plan to use Interstate 10 between Beaumont and Indio or state Route 60 from Moreno Valley to Beaumont during these events will experience traffic delays during peak travel times,'' Caltrans spokeswoman Terri Kasinga said.
Once the festival ends this weekend, nearly 40,000 campers are expected to be leaving the festival site, causing significant traffic on the 10 Freeway, authorities warned.
Traffic is expected to be heaviest on the Friday before the event for eastbound traffic, while Sunday will be the most congested for those heading westbound.
``Avoid delays by leaving early mornings on those peak travel days or wait to travel the day after the peak travel day,'' Kasinga said.
A special traffic warning was also issued for those coming from
Temecula using the 15 Freeway since state Routes 74 and 243 are closed for
repairs, Kasinga said. Instead, she said motorists should exit the 15 Freeway
at Interstate 215 northbound and then travel east on either the 10 or 60
freeways.
Indio officials strongly encouraged festival-goers to take advantage
of the Any Line Shuttle, which costs $80 for the entire weekend and services
hotels in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and other local resorts.
Information on the Any Line Shuttle is available at
www.valleymusictravel.com/events/.
Once drivers get into the Coachella Valley, Indio city officials said motorists should expect traffic delays starting today and continuing through Sunday on the following stretches:
-- southbound Jefferson, Washington and Monroe streets from the 10
Freeway to Avenue 52;
-- Avenue 48 between Jefferson and Jackson streets;
-- Highway 111 at Jefferson and Monroe streets; and
-- eastbound 10 Freeway exits at Jefferson, Monroe and Washington streets.
Several significant road closures are also planned Friday through Monday:
-- Avenue 49 between Hjorth and Monroe streets;
-- Avenue 50 between Madison and Jackson streets;
-- Hjorth Street between Avenue 49 and Avenue 50; and
-- Madison Street between Avenue 49 and Avenue 52
City officials recommend that north- and south-bound motorists use
Washington, Jackson and Calhoun streets as well as Golf Center Parkway; while
east-west travelers were advised to use Highway 111, Fred Waring Drive, Miles
Avenue, Dr. Carreon Boulevard and Avenue 54.
