KNOW BEFORE YOU GO — Festival Season Begins: Avenue 50 Closes, Valley-Wide Traffic Expected Through May

It's time for Know Before You Go, where CV Sync Traffic Program Manager Kris Gunterson breaks down the week's major construction projects so you can plan your commute and get ahead of the delays. This week, festival season prep officially kicks off in the Coachella Valley, and Gunterson says the road impacts are already underway.

Indio: Avenue 50 Closure, Festival Season Prep

The City of Indio has closed Avenue 50 between Monroe Street and Madison Street starting today, Monday, March 23, and that closure stays in place through Sunday, May 4. The stretch runs directly alongside the Empire Polo Club, home to both the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Music Festival, and the closure is needed to safely move heavy equipment during setup and to manage the flow of festival-goers during the events themselves.

Coachella runs April 10 through 12 and April 17 through 19, followed by Stagecoach from April 24 through 26. Gunterson says the whole valley feels the impact of festival season, with Washington Street, Jefferson Street, and Monroe Street bearing the heaviest traffic loads. Even the back routes get busy, including Avenue 52, though that road remains open and is a viable alternate for now.

Drivers should use Highway 111, Dr. Carreon Boulevard, Avenue 48, or Avenue 52 as alternates while Avenue 50 is closed. Anyone with questions about the closures or concert logistics can call 760-391-4112 or email concertinfo@indio.org. Gunterson says more specific time windows and additional closure details will be shared as the festivals get closer.

Cathedral City: East Palm Canyon Widening Near Van Fleet

Crews are still working on the widening project along East Palm Canyon near Van Fleet, and westbound traffic remains down to one lane. This is a Tribal Nation project that Cathedral City has been monitoring for several weeks. Gunterson says a paver was delivered to the site over the weekend, so expect heavy equipment out there this week as paving gets underway. That's actually good news, as it means the extra lanes could open up sooner than expected. The project is scheduled to be fully complete by April 3.

To get around the congestion, take Date Palm Drive to Perez Road. Gunterson says it's an easy workaround and well worth the detour.

Indio: Jefferson Street and Indio Boulevard Intersection Work

The road improvement project at Jefferson Street and Indio Boulevard is nearly done. Gunterson says fresh pavement is down and striping has been completed, so this one is wrapping up fast. There's still one lane in each direction while crews finish the final details on the widening and intersection work, but the project should be complete before the end of the week.

If you can, skip this area entirely for now. Use Monroe Street or Washington Street to reach the freeway, and use Fred Waring Drive to travel east and west. 

La Quinta: Avenue 52 Utility Work East of Jefferson Street

Drivers on Avenue 52 in La Quinta should also expect slowdowns starting today. The Imperial Irrigation District is performing underground utility work east of Jefferson Street, and a single-lane closure will be in effect through Friday, April 3. Delays are most likely during peak morning and afternoon commute hours. No specific daily work hours have been announced, but the project is expected to wrap up in roughly two weeks. Use alternate routes where possible and plan for some wait time if you're staying on Avenue 52.

For real-time traffic updates and the latest on road closures across the Coachella Valley, visit cv-sync.com.