After more than two years of work, the reconfigured interchange connecting the Corona (71) Expressway with the Riverside (91) Freeway in Corona will be fully operational and available to motorists on Monday.
The “71/91 Interchange Project,” underway since the winter of 2023, is undergoing final touch-ups.
The last phase will be an upcoming weekend-long closure of the Green River Road on-ramp for further realignment work, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
The activity will require a one-night closure of the westbound 91 connector to the northbound 71, as well as full closure of the Green River entrance ramp to the eastbound 91. The westbound 91 connector will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, while the Green River ramp will be shut down from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday.
The newly constructed eastbound 91 to northbound 71 bridge will open at 6 a.m. Saturday, according to RCTC.
“The closure will also allow crews to perform final lane striping, guardrail and roadway signage installation, and electrical work,” the agency stated, adding that all new ramps and transition bridges will be available Monday morning.
Motorists were asked to plan ahead accordingly for the weekend.
The $137 million 71/91 Interchange Project has entailed replacing the current single-lane connector from the eastbound 91 to the 71 with a two-lane connector loop, which will accommodate a larger number of vehicles.
Along with expanding the connector itself, the project has further involved adding an eastbound auxiliary lane to the 91 and realigning the Green River Road on-ramp. The expressway, too, has been realigned to create space for the new connector.
More than one-third of project funding — $58.1 million — was provided by the California Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017, which hiked gasoline taxes to pay for infrastructure and other projects. The county’s Measure A receipts, generated by a half-cent sales tax, have covered a share of the expense, while federal and other sources make up the difference.
Updates on the project are available at rctc.org/projects/71-91-interchange-project/.