Jefferson Interchange construction leads to week-long road closures, detours

Many drivers use the Jefferson Street interchange as a main artery when it comes to driving to and from valley cities. One driver says the drive without it will be a challenge.

“It’s going to affect me because it’s going to be a lot of mileage to go around to [get] back to the 10,” said truck driver Juan Gomez.

The traffic is part of the reason why the interchange is being built.

“In the ’60s and ’70s, Indio wasn’t the thriving center of the Coachella Valley as it is now. This interchange is totally being rebuilt because under today’s standards it is not functional,” said Dennis Green, consultant for the Riverside County Department of Transportation.

The need for construction requires empty roads to complete the needed work.

“The support columns and the beams underneath are being worked on and there will be changes and improvements made on the actual road over that crossing at Jefferson,” said PJ Gagajena with the city of Indio.

The westbound lanes of Indio Boulevard at Jefferson Street will be closed to traffic until 4 p.m. Friday. On the I-10 at Jefferson Street. lane closures will also take place throughout the week with a complete closure on the I-10 east from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly.

“We expect to [demolish] the old bridge and then put you on the new Indio Boulevard which would give you two lanes in each direction as opposed to one lane on each direction on half the bridge this week,” Green said.

Crews will be racing the clock to get the construction done by the city’s deadline Friday. Drivers will have to find alternate routes.