Windy conditions choke up traffic in the valley

Extreme winds have been affected locals and valley visitors all week. For an hour Monday morning, trying to get out of Palm Springs headed westbound out of the valley might have caused you a major headache. Indian Canyon Drive shut down at the wash Thursday night, Gene Autry Trail closed at the wash just after midnight Friday, and then an overturned box truck led to an hour-long closure on Highway 111 northbound near Overture Drive.

Although the Highway 111 closure was a brief one, travel in the area remained thoroughly difficult throughout Friday; it was announced in the afternoon that the Gene Autry Trail was & Indian Canyon Drive closures would remain in effect until at least Saturday.

Pair the closures with aggressive drivers, and Palm Springs visitors are vocalizing their concerns.

“There’s a lot of crazy drivers out there but this doesn’t help it,” said Ron Wysocki, who is visiting Palm Springs. “You just have to slow it down.”

The closures have particularly affected those commuting from Desert Hot Springs to Palm Springs: “It’s very difficult. The people sometimes drive too fast and it’s not good. It’s very dangerous,” said Carmen Zuriarrain, a resident of DHS.

Even some of the barricades have continually blown over, but workers are actively reinforcing the closures with sandbands and urging drivers to respect the “road closed” signs: “You can’t see the road ahead. So if anyone is ignoring these signs, you’re going to have a lot of trouble ahead with your car,” said Taran Verdugo, with Traffic Control & Safety.

Air quality has also been negatively impacted. People with respiratory issues are advised to remain indoors. “You don’t wanna breathe this stuff in. Just keep it to a minimum,” added Wysocki.

Watch News Channel 3 live at 5 for Madison Weil’s full report & your full first alert forecast.