Stagecoach Getaway Day: Expect a Slow Roll on I-10 and Valley Streets

It's time for Know Before You Go, and this Monday comes with a big asterisk. Stagecoach Country Music Festival is wrapping up, and that means tens of thousands of people, RVs, motor coaches, and trucks pulling fifth-wheel trailers are all heading out of the valley at the same time. CV Sync program manager Kris Gunterson and his team have been working overtime through a packed festival season, and this morning they have one message for valley drivers: know where you're going before you leave the driveway.

STAGECOACH GETAWAY DAY: I-10 Westbound Indio to Palm Springs

Today is the big exodus. Gunterson says festival-goers will be funneling out of the Polo Grounds primarily through Washington Street, Jefferson Street, and Monroe Street, all heading northbound toward Interstate 10. Most of that outbound flow will be heading westbound on the freeway, and it starts picking up around 8 a.m. and runs through roughly noon.

Here's the thing that makes this weekend different from a typical event: the vehicles are bigger. Gunterson says motor coaches and large trucks towing fifth-wheel trailers move slower than regular traffic, so even when things are moving, they won't be moving fast. If you're planning to head west on I-10 and you can leave before 8 a.m., do it. After that, Gunterson says expect congestion on the freeway for most of the morning. If you can't leave early, pack your patience, or better yet, wait it out until early afternoon when things should clear up.

If you're not heading out of the valley, avoid Washington, Jefferson, and Monroe if you can. Those three corridors will be busy as festival traffic filters up to the freeway.

LA QUINTA: Washington Street at Avenue 47 IID Utility Repairs, Starting Monday

Once the festival traffic clears, there's another thing to have on your radar this week in La Quinta. Gunterson says IID repair work is getting underway on northbound Washington Street at Avenue 47. That stretch will be down to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily for the next two weeks.

Gunterson says crews were asked to hold off on starting today to avoid adding to the Stagecoach getaway congestion, though confirmation on that delay had not come through at air time, so check your maps before you head that direction. To get around it, use Avenue 48 over to Adams Street or Dune Palms Road. If you're coming out of the Cove, Avenue 52 to Jefferson is another option, though Gunterson notes you may still run into some lingering festival traffic there.

Gunterson's safety tip this week: give everyone plenty of room. After a big festival weekend, the roads are full of large, unfamiliar vehicles, and their drivers aren't always familiar with local streets. Stay visible in their mirrors, keep your distance, and let them maneuver. No lane is worth a close call.

For live traffic conditions throughout the week, check out the CV Sync map atcv-sync.com.