Major Traffic Woe Coming To Temecula, Murrieta In 2025

TEMECULA, CA — As part of the ongoing Interstate 15/French Valley Parkway improvements that are underway in Temecula, the city advised this week that more work slated for next year will cause headaches for motorists.

To date, most of the closures needed for construction have occurred overnight, but onramps to northbound Interstate 15 from Winchester Road will be "closed for extended periods in the coming New Year," the city warned Tuesday. The closures are needed to construct essential connections to the newly added lanes.

Scheduled closures for 2025:

The northbound I-15 onramp from westbound Winchester Road will close entirely from January 12 to February 14.

The northbound I-15 onramp from eastbound Winchester Road will close entirely from February 18 to March 14.

Additionally, both the northbound I-15 onramps from westbound and eastbound Winchester Road will be closed simultaneously during a 55-hour weekend period sometime after March 14, with dates still to be determined.

During all the closures, detour signs will be posted, directing motorists to the nearest northbound I-15 onramps, which are either Rancho California Road to the south or Murrieta Hot Springs Road to the north. Both options experience significant traffic, especially during rush hours.

Work on the I-15/French Valley Parkway improvement project is currently in the second phase, which is expected to wrap up in May. It targets bottleneck traffic on northbound I-15 between Winchester Road and the I-15/I-215 split.

Phase 1 construction was completed in 2014. The work helped lessen dangerous traffic backup at the southbound I-15 exit for Winchester Road.

Read more about the I-15/French Valley Parkway improvement project here. The project was initially estimated to cost $139 million.

Related: Largest Project In Temecula's History Promises I-15 Traffic Relief