Traffic Detours Begin Friday Night On Highway 91 In Riverside

Motorists planning to travel through Riverside using the Riverside (91) Freeway should be prepared for detours beginning tonight.

Crews will be tearing down the remnants of the old Van Buren Boulevard overpass, requiring closures on both sides of the 91, according to the Riverside Department of Public Works.

Eastbound and westbound lanes will be shut down at 11 p.m. and remain closed until 6 a.m. Saturday. Both sides of the freeway also will be closed between 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday.

The Van Buren bridge will remain open during the closures.

Detour signs will direct freeway motorists to use Indiana and Magnolia avenues as alternates.

The $34.5 million Van Buren Avenue bridge project entails widening the span to include two more traffic lanes, as well as a new hook ramp and dual left-turn lanes on the westbound on-ramp. The new bridge is expected to ease congestion at the location.