CORONA, CA — Nighttime closures on the eastbound Riverside (91) Freeway to facilitate work on an interchange project will continue for the next two weeks, and motorists were advised to consider alternate routes whenever traffic lanes are out of service, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
On July 15, crews began installing new support structures for the 71/91 Interchange Project, requiring full eastbound closures on the 91 between Green River Road and Serfas Club Drive in Corona on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
RCTC officials said the Monday-to-Wednesday closures are slated to conclude on Thursday morning, Aug. 15. Until then, motorists can expect the eastbound 91 to be unavailable from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. those days.
The closure zone begins at Green River, and drivers heading east on the 91 will be detoured into Corona at that exit. However, using frontage roads through the city to return to the freeway can mean long delays.
Officials recommended motorists coming from Orange County travel the Orange (57) Freeway northbound to the Pomona (60) Freeway and follow the 60 to the Corona (71) Expressway southbound, returning to the 91, or alternately remain on the 60 until reaching Interstate 15 southbound, and going back to the 91 via that route.
According to RCTC, although the full closure of eastbound 91 is in effect only three nights a week, there are regular lane reductions every night, as well as ramp closures in the vicinity of the 71/91 interchange.
The 71/91 Interchange Project began in February 2023 and has involved closures on both sides of the 91 in the construction zone.
The $137 million project entails replacing the current single-lane connector from the eastbound 91 to the 71 with a two-lane connector loop, which will accommodate a larger number of vehicles.
Along with expanding the connector itself, the project further involves adding an eastbound auxiliary lane to the 91 and realigning the Green River Road on-ramp. The expressway, too, is being realigned to create space for the new connector.
The project is expected to conclude sometime next year.
More than one-third of the project funding — $58.1 million — is being provided by the California Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017, which hiked gasoline taxes to pay for infrastructure and other projects. The county’s Measure A revenue, which is generated by a half-cent sales tax, is also covering a share of the expense, while federal and other sources make up the difference.
Updates on the project are available at rctc.org/7191closures and www.rctc.org/71-91interchange.
