Drivers prepare for evening full of traffic as festival goers return home from Coachella weekend 2

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) -- Drivers in the Coachella Valley are gearing up for the 'great migration' as thousands of festival goers head home from Coachella. Every year, the I-10 tends to get the brunt of the traffic, with some backups lasting for several hours, and some drivers are already feeling the toll.

"Someone crashed into my car," said Jay Rios, an Uber and Lyft rider here in the Coachella Valley. He had been driving along the I-10 when a car rammed into his from behind. Rios works during the festival every year, taking attendees to and from the Empire Polo Club, but this year he said traffic was especially bad.

"The traffic was horrible," said Rios. " I only did like 50 trips, and that's not very many because a lot of then took me an hour each. I think it was just badly organized this year, the closures and the drop offs." Like all locals, Rios knows the traffic jams come with the territory, especially during festival season.

"The I-10 is always bad," said Rios. "Today, it has been backed up since like 9 am.”

  More than 40,000 people who came to the desert to attend weekend two of Coachella are now heading home, and many of them are taking the I-10 back to LA. Some veteran festival goers like Allen Vu have learned to leave early over the years.

"We got up at like 4:45," said Vu, who was charging up his Tesla in Indio before hitting the road to make it back to work in Orange County. He says the weekend two traffic was not nearly as bad as weekend one. 

"It was fun, and I heard weekend one had a lot of issues, but it was really smooth," said Vu. "Even though I am leaving early it wouldn't surprise me if I hit traffic, maybe even be stuck in it for two to three hours."

Others, like Andres Tovar, are experiencing the Coachella traffic for the very first time. Tovar is heading back to Sacramento, a trip that could take eight to nine hours.  

"First Coachella ever, I've never been," said Tovar. "I got everything packed up and now I'm at the Flying J. I'm gonna take a shower and then gonna head out." Tovar, like many attendees were told to prepare for the traffic, by filling up their gas tanks, charging their batteries, and bringing plenty of water. 

"I'd definitely say over prepare," said Tovar. "Hitting traffic, I mean, can't really escape it, but if you hit it, you know, at least have some gas, air conditioning, water, everything you need.”

"Please be safe," said Rios. "Don't speed, and please, please, pay attention to the cars in front of you."

Expect delays and be prepared to use these alternate routes. Some of those routes include:

• North and south travel, use Washington Street, Jackson Street, Calhoun Street and Golf Center Parkway
• East and west travel, use Highway 111, Fred Waring Drive, Miles Avenue, Dr. Carreon Boulevard and Avenue 54