Ortega Highway 55-Hour Closure Returns This Weekend

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA —Cross-county drivers, be advised. Another 55-hour complete shutdown of the Ortega Highway between the Orange County Line and Monte Vista Street near Lake Elsinore is scheduled this weekend.

"There will be no access from OC to Lake Elsinore and vice-versa," Caltrans District 8 spokeswoman Kim Cherry said. "There is no thru traffic, only escorted residents to and from designated places."

The closure begins at 9 p.m. Friday and continues until 4 a.m. Monday.

The closures are generally between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and anyone trying to transit the entire highway is turned around by the California Highway Patrol. The main closure will occur just east of Tenaja Truck Trail; no through traffic will be allowed. All commuters must utilize alternate routes, according to Caltrans District 8.

The shutdowns enable crews to complete excavation work, removing and replacing slabs without interruption, Caltrans officials said.

During the nightly closures, the Ortega is not available as a connector between Riverside and Orange counties, according to Cherry.

DETOURS:

Motorists are advised to utilize Interstates 5 and 15, as well as state Routes 55 and 91, as alternates.

The shutdowns are part of the $49 million Ortega Widening Project that began in February. In late April, the contractor, Watsonville-based Granite Construction, initiated modifications that required nighttime closures on the corridor.

Most of the work is focused on expanding existing lanes to 12 feet, as well as expanding shoulders on both sides to 4 feet, according to Caltrans.

Crews are also installing in-ground rumble strips for the highway centerline and shoulders. Residents on Tenaja Truck Trail and west of the trail, including Ortega Oaks RV Park and Campground and The Candy Store, will be forced to travel west to Orange County and only gain access to their homes from the Orange County side of the highway.

Residents east of Tenaja Truck Trail will be forced to travel east to Lake Elsinore and only gain access to their homes from the Riverside County side of the highway.

An escort vehicle will lead residents, but locals should expect up to a two-hour delay, according to Caltrans. Resident identification will be required.

An additional weekend closure is planned for Aug. 27-30 during the same hours.

The upgrades are concentrated within a roughly 10-mile stretch. The first full weekend closure occurred July 16-19, and the project is slated for completion in early 2025.

More information is available at dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-8.

City News Service, Patch Editors Ashley Ludwig, Toni McCallister contributed to this report.