UPDATE: This article was published in the paper as “Kellogg Drive off-ramp closed for first week”, but has been renamed due to its opening.
Caltrans opened the off-ramp Aug. 21, and it will be available for students to use in their commutes to campus on the first day of the fall semester, Aug 22.
Heading into the first day of the fall 2019 semester will pose more traffic congestion than usual. The full closure of the westbound San Bernardino I-10 off-ramp to southbound Kellogg Drive will continue until Aug. 22.
The off-ramp was shut down on Aug. 13 for pavement rehabilitation by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and is expected to remain closed until Aug. 22, which is also the first day of classes.
Public Information Officer Jim Medina released a public notice stating, “Repaving the [Kellogg Drive] off-ramp is part of $195 million project to add a carpool lane in each direction of I-10 between Citrus Street and the Orange Freeway ([California State Route]-57).”
Construction on the San Bernardino Freeway is divided into three segments along the I-10.
The first segment encompasses the freeway from the I-605 to Puente Avenue. The second segment continues from Puente Avenue to Citrus Street and the third segment affecting the Kellogg Drive closure continues from Citrus Street to SR-57.
Construction on the third segment began in 2016 and is expected to be completed during the summer of 2021. Construction on segment one is now completed and segment two is expected to be complete in 2019.
Cal Poly Pomona Police Chief Dario Robinson stated in an email to the university, “Caltrans is aware that Aug. 22 is the first day of classes and aim to complete their work prior to that day.”
Robinson also acknowledges that nearing toward the first day of fall 2019 there will be increased traffic around the campus including at the Via Verde and Fairplex exits.
“Of all the days they could have chosen, they choose to [continue] repair[s] on the busiest ramp during the busiest time of the year,” said Daniel Huerta, a fourth-year entertainment marketing student. “If traffic and parking was an issue before, this is going to get ugly. People are going to end up being really late to class which is going to cause problems for professors too.”
Students should be mindful of the closure and are encouraged to set aside extra time to use alternative routes to get to campus.
Some alternative routes include:
Take the Fairplex Drive exit to Valley Boulevard, turn right to Kellogg Drive.
Take the Via Verde Street exit, turn left to get on the I-10 eastbound freeway and take the exit for Kellogg Drive.
For more information and updates about the westbound Kellogg Drive off-ramp closure, visit the Caltrans website at https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7/district-7-projects/d7-i10-hov-san-bernardino or The Compass at https://www.cpp.edu/~compass/index.shtml.
