The Point: Use alternate routes, expect delays, allow extra travel time
The Riverside County Transportation Commission will be conducting partial closures of the 91 Express Lanes and general use lanes for three to four upcoming weekends, starting tonight.
RCTC is upgrading the 91 Express Lanes to comply with new state-mandated transponder technology. RCTC also is restriping the entrance/exit points for the westbound 91 Express Lanes to provide open access at the Riverside County/Orange County Line.
Scheduled closures for the weekend of November 16 include:
- Westbound 91 Express Lanes in Riverside County: Friday at 9 p.m. to Monday at 4 a.m.
- Westbound 91 Express Lanes in Orange County: Friday at 9 p.m. to Sunday at noon
- Eastbound 91 Express Lanes in Riverside County and Orange County: Sunday from 4 a.m. to noon
- Westbound 91 general use lanes, one to three lanes between Route 71 and Route 241: Intermittent closures from Friday at 9 p.m. to Saturday at 7 a.m. and from Saturday at 7 p.m. to Sunday at 10 a.m.
RCTC advises motorists to use alternate routes, expect delays and allow extra travel time throughout the weekend. Closures are subject to change, due to weather and the dynamic nature of construction. Motorists may stay connected via social media @15expresslanes.
Closure dates and times for subsequent weekends are available at 15project.info. No closures will take place during Thanksgiving weekend.
The restriping of the westbound 91 Express Lanes will provide more flexibility for motorists to enter or exit these lanes near the Riverside/Orange County Line. Crews will restripe this area to allow motorists to enter or exit at any point where there is a broken white line.
The new transponder technology will lead to greater interoperability between toll systems, allowing Californians with established accounts to pay for tolls when traveling in Colorado, Washington, Utah and Oregon. The change in technology also will advance longer-term efforts to create interoperability nationwide so that account holders can pay tolls on any participating facility in the country.