Southbound I-15 Lane Closures Planned Between Corona, Temescal Valley

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Lanes on the southbound side of Interstate 15 between Corona and Temescal Valley will be shut down Thursday evening to finalize work on a roughly mile-long expansion project, and officials asked motorists to plan ahead to avoid travel delays.

Crews have largely completed the "I-15 Interim Corridor Operations Project," adding a single lane on the southbound side of the freeway between Cajalco and Weirick roads. However, some minor "close-out activities" remain, and those are what will be the focus of work Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

Beginning at 9 p.m., lane reductions will occur in the construction zone, and the closures will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Friday, RCTC said.

According to RCTC, at least one lane will be taken out of service, though it could be two, during the work. Three southbound lanes are available in the corridor. Most of the construction activity will be between El Cerrito and Weirick roads.

The Cajalco on-ramp to southbound I-15, as well as the Weirick exit ramp from the southbound side of the interstate, additionally will be closed to traffic.

Drivers were asked to plan ahead and consider alternate routes to avoid delays.

The $5 million project was conceived last year as an add-on to the I- 15 Express Lanes Project, which was completed in April 2021, resulting in toll lanes being constructed on I-15 between Corona and Norco to relieve congestion.

According to RCTC, because southbound I-15 narrowed abruptly where the toll lanes end, there was a bottleneck, routinely creating traffic backups just south of Corona.
The I-15 Interim Corridor Operations Project has established a longer transition zone that, officials hope, will ease the flow of traffic going into Temescal Valley.

The new general purpose southbound lane was finished at the end of July.

More information is available at www.rctc.org.