Partial Closure of Ortega Highway (SR 74) Planned for Monday

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA -- A five-mile stretch of the Ortega (74) Highway near Lake Elsinore will be narrowed to one lane next week for road work, and Caltrans officials advise motorists to prepare for travel delays.

Crews are slated to begin roadside maintenance at 8:30 a.m. Monday on the 74 between Grand Avenue and Vista Point, removing loose gravel and other potential hazards.

Officials said the work is scheduled to run until 2:30 p.m., and will resume during the same hours Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

All east- and westbound traffic will be funneled into one lane, requiring flagging operations to control when traffic going in one direction or the other moves, according to Caltrans.

Delays could be protracted, depending on the volume of traffic, officials said.

The route spans 30 miles, connecting Lake Elsinore and San Juan Capistrano via the Cleveland National Forest.

More information about the road work and related commuter alerts is available at www.Caltrans8.info .

City News Service contributed to this report.