Weekly overnight closures of southbound SR-71 to start Monday, lasting through end of March

Another round of nightly closures will begin on the southbound 71 Freeway beginning on Monday, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission. 

The shutdowns, which will happen each Money through Thursday between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., will close all three southbound lanes on the nearly seven-mile stretch of freeway between Butterfield Ranch Road in Chino Hills and the SR-91 Freeway in Corona. 

In September last year, a similar closure impacted parts of the 71 and 91 Freeways for similar work, and again in December. 

The closures will turn through at least March 28. 

Periodically, east and westbound lanes of SR-91 will also be closed due to some work necessary. 

People that usually use the road to commute are urged to consider using alternate routes, which include the 60 Freeway, the 57 Freeway and I-15. If necessary, there will be a detailed detour route that runs through the 60 Freeway via Euclid Avenue, officials said. 

Work on the 71/91 Interchange Project began in Feb. 2023. The $137 million project looks to replace the current single-lane connector between the eastbound 91 and the 71 with a two-lane connector loops, hopefully easing traffic. It will also add an eastbound auxiliary lane to the 91 and realign the Green River Road onramp. 

Officials expect the project to be concluded by the end of 2025. 

More than a third of the project's funding is provided by the California Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017, which hiked taxes for gasoline in order to pay for infrastructure and other projects. A share of the expense is also being covered by the county's Measure A receipts.