Ortega Highway Closes Nightly First Week Of June 2022

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — Overnight closures will be placed along the Ortega Highway between Orange County and Lake Elsinore for the rest of the week, Caltrans announced Wednesday.

There will be no through traffic on the corridor and limited access for residents on the closure days.

The nighttime shutdowns began Tuesday night and will continue Wednesday night to Thursday morning, Thursday night to Friday morning, and Friday night to Saturday morning.

Closures will be in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

While closures are in effect, construction crews will replace concrete barrier rails and continue pavement excavation, as well as upgrading drainage canals on segments of the 17-mile, two-lane corridor, Caltrans said.

The highway will not be accessible from the Orange County line after 10 p.m. Traveled who reside in communities within the construction zone will have to use alternate west-east routes to travel to Lake Elsinore and enter the highway from there.

Alternate routes include Interstates 5 and 15, as well as state Routes 55 and 91.

After 10 p.m., pilot vehicles will be available to guide residents who can confirm that they reside in pockets of the Ortega to their streets, but the wait times could span up to an hour, officials said.Impacted communities include the Candy Store area, Decker Canyon, Long Canyon, the Oaks RV Park and Tenaja Truck Trail.

All motorists trying to transit the Ortega to go from one county to the other will be turned around.
Weeknight closures on the corridor started in July 2021, but they have been paused at intervals.
There is some daytime work on the highway, and when crews are out in daylight hours, one-way flagging operations are in effect.

The $49 million "Ortega Widening Project" began in February 2021. The project entails a multi-stage effort intended to enhance safety along the corridor. Most of the work is focused on expanding existing lanes to 12 feet, as well as widening shoulders on both sides to four feet, Caltrans said.

Crews are additionally installing in-ground rumble strips for the highway centerline and shoulders. The upgrades are concentrated within a roughly 10-mile stretch.

The project is slated for completion in early 2025.

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