Badlands 60 Freeway Closures Underway Saturday, Into Next Week

BEAUMONT, CA — State Route 60 closures will be underway this weekend and next week for paving work between Moreno Valley and Beaumont, the Riverside County Transportation Commission announced.

The daytime full and partial closures will affect both westbound and eastbound freeway lanes, according to the agency. The schedule is as follows:

Westbound Route 60 will be fully closed from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Single lane closures are scheduled on eastbound Route 60:

• 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, April 18
• 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 19
• 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 20

Motorists should avoid the area, if possible, and allow extra travel time; use Interstate 10 as an alternate route, the RCTC advised.

Work is subject to change, based on weather, staffing and material availability, according to the agency.

The work is being done as part of the RCTC's Route 60 Truck Lanes Project, which has entailed widening a 4.5-mile section of the freeway from Gilman Springs Road to 1.4 miles west of Jack Rabbit Trail in the Badlands. The $138.4 million project includes $113 million in construction costs. The project is expected to be fully completed by summer.

"The closures will allow crews to safely pave the roadway at the east and west ends of the project," the RCTC reported. "Paving must be completed during warmer daytime hours for the asphalt to dry properly. Work was scheduled to reduce the impact on Easter and Passover travelers and on Coachella Festival attendees."

The California Highway Patrol will enforce traffic safety, with traffic fines doubled in construction zones.

For updates, follow @60TruckLanes on social media and register for email notices at rctc.org/60trucklanes.