Another 55-Hour Ortega Highway Shutdown Planned This Weekend

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Both sides of the Ortega (74) Highway between Lake Elsinore and Orange County are slated to be shut down this weekend — for the fifth time since June — to facilitate work on the two-lane corridor.

According to Caltrans, the 55-hour closure is set to start at 9 p.m. Friday and continue until 4 a.m. Monday.

Motorists — and residents along pockets of the Ortega — were advised to prepare well in advance because most of the 17-mile artery will be inaccessible, with few exceptions, officials said.

A weekend-long shutdown had been planned on Sept. 10-13, but it was rescinded because the contractor, Watsonville-based Granite Construction Inc., did not feel it was necessary. This weekend's closure will be the last until November, with none scheduled for October, Caltrans said.

All motorists trying to transit the Ortega to go from one county to the next will be turned around. However, pilot vehicles will be available to guide residents with identification attempting to enter the construction zone. Officials noted that even with guided access, delays will generally run up to two hours.

Nighttime closures are continuing this week on the highway, generally between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. But unlike in previous weeks, at least one lane will remain open along the entire length of the corridor, meaning through traffic is authorized, with one-way flagging and pilot vehicles moving traffic eastbound and westbound at different intervals, according to Caltrans. Delays are running about 30 minutes for motorists going in both directions, agency spokeswoman Kim Cherry said.

For those who want to avoid the wait, alternate routes include Interstates 5 and 15, as well as state Routes 55 and 91.

The closures are necessary to enable crews to complete excavation work, removing and replacing slabs, grading, milling and clearing roadside vegetation, officials said.

The weeknight closures along the corridor began in July, and those will continue as long as the weather holds up, according to Caltrans.

There is some daytime work Monday to Friday, and when crews are on the highway, one-way flagging operations are in effect, Cherry said.

The $49 million Ortega Widening Project began in February, and in late April, Granite Construction initiated a series of modifications that required the closures.

The widening project entails a multi-stage effort intended to enhance safety along the east-west 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 https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-8.