Visitors depart the area en masse after final weekend of Coachella
With the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival all wrapped up, tens of thousands of festivalgoers departed from the desert today, unleashing a torrent of vehicles along Interstate 10 and local roadways.
As expected, westbound I-10 carried the bulk of vehicles leaving the desert. Long stretches of traffic could be seen from Indio through the Banning pass area this morning.
“Saw a lot of traffic coming the opposite direction. It was pretty much stand-still in the other direction,” said Jacquie Bickel, who was driving to Joshua Tree.
Caltrans advised commuters to travel late in the evening, if possible, to avoid the worst of the congestion.
Following the first festival weekend, I-10 experienced substantial traffic throughout the day, with congestion dissipating for most drivers near the Banning Pass area, where I-10 meets the 60 Freeway.
The area near that interchange was experiencing congestion late Monday morning, though a pair of non-injury crashes contributed to the traffic. One of those crashes involved a dump truck crashing into a mountainside on the westbound 60 Freeway near the Badlands, leading authorities to issue a SigAlert, with one lane remaining closed. It was unknown when the freeway was expected to fully reopen.
Drivers opting to brave the freeways were left with only a few options.
“We’re going to drive slowly, be calm,” said William Charles Berger III, who is driving back to Los Angeles. “Pop some Advils too.”
“We’re going to listen to music and just talk,” said Eric Su, who is heading to LAX.
Drivers leaving from Palm Springs can also expect Highway 111 to be backed up, though the roadway appeared relatively clear Monday morning, according to an online Caltrans traffic map.
Motorists can consult http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ to monitor up-to-the-minute traffic conditions.
Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
