Imperial Ave Interchange Project requires full freeway closures on I-8
New entrance loop ramp planned as part of construction
EL CENTRO, Calif. - Full freeway closures on Interstate 8 (I-8) are scheduled from Monday, March 29 - Thursday, April 1, between Forrester Road and State Route 86 (SR-86)/4th Street as part of the I-8/Imperial Avenue Interchange Project.
Construction crews will close all lanes on eastbound I-8 from Forrester Road to SR-86/4th Street on Monday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. One lane of westbound I-8 will also be closed overnight, with the remaining westbound lanes open to traffic.
All westbound I-8 lanes will be closed both Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. as well. Mirroring eastbound I-8 lanes will be closed overnight Thursday, during the same time.
Detours are as follows:
- Detour for eastbound I-8 closures: Eastbound traffic will be detoured to exit at Forrester Road and travel north to Evan Hewes Highway east to SR-86/4thStreet south to the I-8 connector.
- Detour for westbound I-8 closures: Westbound traffic will be detoured to exit at SR-86/4th Street and travel north to Adams Avenue/Even Hewes Highway west, to Forrester Road south to the I-8 connector.
The recommended detour maps for the full interchange closure can be found here. Access to businesses and medical facilities will continue via the detour.
The I-8/Imperial Avenue Interchange Project removed the existing bridge and eastbound on-and-off-ramps. Crews will reconstruct the structure and the on-and-off-ramps in both directions.
Construction plans include a new entrance loop ramp from southbound Imperial Avenue to eastbound I-8. This should create access to the City of El Centro’s upcoming extension of southbound Imperial Avenue to city areas south of I-8.
Project construction began in the spring of 2020 with Stage 1 closures of the eastbound on-and-off-ramps beginning in the following July. Stage 2 closure of the entire interchange began December 2020 with reopening expected late summer 2021.
For real-time traffic information including traffic speeds, lane and road closures due to construction and maintenance activities, go to the Caltrans website.
