Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G may have been the main draws at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, but after Weekend 2, the biggest crowd Monday was the traffic on Interstate 10.
Westbound traffic was especially backed up starting in Palm Springs, with the heaviest congestion past the Gene Autry Trail exit through Whitewater, where speeds ranged from 9 to 20 mph, according to SigAlert, a traffic monitoring service.
The commute from the Jackson Street on-ramp in Indio to Cabazon — typically about 30 to 40 minutes — was taking roughly 1 hour and 26 minutes as of noon, Google Maps reported.
And taking Highway 111 out of Palm Springs was little help: The road was backed up for about four miles heading toward the freeway as of mid-afternoon, Google Maps’ traffic tool showed.
The gridlock mirrors last week’s post-festival exodus from the desert, part of a familiar pattern in which traffic jams form as thousands leave the Coachella Valley after the three-day festival.
Stagecoach Music Festival, country music’s biggest party, returns to Indio Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26.
(This story was updated with new information.)
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: The biggest crowd after Coachella Weekend 2? The Monday I-10 traffic
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
