Expect higher than normal traffic during the first week of the spring semester due to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) closing the eastbound Interstate 10 (I-10) off-ramp to Kellogg Drive on Jan. 15.
The closure is projected to last for an estimated 90 days for pavement rehabilitation and realignment, according to a Caltrans statement released on Dec. 16, 2019.
“We can expect that this closure will increase traffic at the Grand Avenue and Fairplex exits during the morning commute hours,” Cal Poly Pomona Chief of Police Dario Robinson stated in a university-wide email sent on Dec. 13.
(Elizabeth Hernandez | The Poly Post)
The eastbound I-10 off-ramp to Kellogg Drive had a tentative closure date of Jan. 6; however, it was fully closed on Jan. 15.
According to Caltrans District 7 Public Information Officer Jim Medina, the timing of the closure is “partly due to weather and the availability of equipment.” Medina stated Caltrans has been in coordination with the university regarding the closure.
This is not the first time Caltrans closed an off-ramp around the beginning of a new semester. Caltrans previously closed the westbound I-10 off-ramp to Kellogg Drive on Aug. 13, 2019 for pavement rehabilitation and reopened one day before the first day of the fall semester on Aug. 21.
“I take the eastbound off-ramp to Kellogg when I come to school and so do hundreds of other students,” said fourth-year business student Daniel Gomez. “They could have started the project months before while regular school hours weren’t in session. Parking is already an ongoing situation at this campus and this is only going to put students off (to) a bad start this semester.”
The eastbound I-10 off-ramp closure is part of the I-10 High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Project and will focus on pavement work, according to Caltrans District 7. The overall construction project is to add carpool lanes in both directions of the freeway to “add freeway capacity, reduce congestion by encouraging carpooling, improve traffic flow and reduce energy consumption, thereby improving air quality,” according to the Caltrans District 7 website.
Construction on the I-10 is divided into different segments, with segment three affecting the CPP community, stretching from Citrus Street to State Route (SR)-57. Construction on segment three began in 2016 and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021, according to the Caltrans website.
The eastbound I-10 off-ramp to Kellogg Drive closure follows the closure of the I-10 westbound on-ramp to Kellogg Drive that closed Sept. 20, 2019 for additional pavement work and reopened Nov. 5.
According to Medina, there are no extended closures in the foreseeable future, other than possible closures of the ramps at night when needed.
Alternative routes to campus include following the eastbound I-10 to:
SR-57 and exit at Temple Avenue;
SR-71 and exit at Campus Drive.
The construction schedule for the eastbound I-10 off-ramp to Kellogg Drive can change due to weather, traffic incidents and other construction-related planning, according to Caltrans. For more information about the I-10 High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Project, visit https://dot.ca.gov.