Colin Atagi

The Desert Sun

Railroad track repairs are expected to block several intersections in the Mojave Desert early March, including one that's in the middle of a popular route between Palm Springs and Las Vegas.

The intersection of Kelbaker Road and Kelso Cima Road will be closed March 2-5 while work takes place on the Union Pacific Railroad track just outside the Kelso Depot visitors center. Work is scheduled to last 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, according to Mojave National Preserve staff.

"Driving through the sections of roads where crews are working will not be possible," they said in a news release.

DESTINATION: Las Vegas (without a casino in sight)

That means anyone traveling between the Coachella Valley and Las Vegas in those four days will need to stick to Interstate 15, Interstate 40 or Highway 95, which all take you around the Mojave National Preserve.

Luckily, there are a couple detours for anyone who gets onto the route, only to find themselves at a road block in the middle of the desert.

If you're already coming from Las Vegas on Morning Star Mine Road, make sure to turn right on the recently-paved Cima Road, which leads you to I-15. And if you're heading north from the Coachella Valley, you can turn around and head back to I-40.

The entire project is scheduled to last through March 22. Work will take place at two other locations, but they shouldn't impact motorists.

Those locations include: the railroad crossing at Cedar Canyon Road, which is directly west of Kelso Cima and north of the visitors center, and the crossing at Ivanpah and Brant roads.

That $3-fuel is rearing its ugly head

One good thing about the Coachella Valley is it has the lowest gas prices in Southern California. At least, if you don't include Bakersfield.

Average gas prices have surpassed $3 per gallon in some parts of Southern California, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. Its coverage area is divided into seven regions and it should come as no surprise that the Los Angeles and Orange County areas have the most expensive gas prices.

There, drivers are paying an averages of $3.03 and $3.04 per gallon of regular unleaded fuel, respectively, the Auto Club reported Sunday. The Santa Barbara and Ventura regions also surpassed $3 per gallon and San Diego was a fraction of a penny shy of being there as well.

The Inland Empire wasn't too far off, with an average of $2.96 per gallon. But you can ask anyone and they'll say they'd be relieved to see a "2" instead of a "3" on gas station signs that list the cost of fuel. And in the Coachella Valley, they could still pay as little as $2.63 per gallon on Sunday.

As for Bakersfield? Drivers up there were paying as little as $2.37 per gallon. That's not bad, but we'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to move there or stay in the desert.

Some agenda items

The Coachella Valley Association of Government's executive committee meets Monday afternoon and there are a couple important items on the agenda.

Signing a letter in support of naming a portion of Highway 111 after Palm Springs Police Officers Jose "Gil" Vega and Lesley Zerebny, who were killed in the line of duty last year. The letter supports Assemblyman Chad Mayes' proposal, which he made last month for the stretch between Overture and San Rafael drives.

Approval of a staff recommendation to make $10 million available to help local cities with projects that benefit pedestrian and bicycle safety. Each project would need to be associated with CVAG's Transportation Project Prioritization Study, which lists dozens of local road projects by priority.

The Road Warrior column runs every Monday in The Desert Sun. Reach the author at colin.atagi@desertsun.com and @tdscolinatagi on Twitter.