Caltrans Adds to Backup on Riverside Freeway
- Share via
Commuters on the Riverside Freeway--already one of the most sluggish morning drives in Southern California--were brought to a brake-stomping crawl Tuesday when Caltrans performed routine maintenance at the highway’s Costa Mesa Freeway interchange.
It didn’t help matters that a truck became stranded on the transition road to the southbound Costa Mesa Freeway at the same time.
California Highway Patrol officials issued an advisory at 9:44 a.m. when traffic on the eastbound Riverside Freeway had backed up to the county line. The SigAlert lasted for nearly 90 minutes.
A portion of the transition road was closed so Caltrans crews could repair sand barrels along the Riverside and Costa Mesa freeways. The repair work was completed Tuesday.
The morning snarl added to the heavy backup along the Costa Mesa Freeway, which has been under construction since 1999.
The $118-million freeway widening is scheduled to be completed early next year.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
