New I-15/Railroad Canyon Interchange Completed In Lake Elsinore

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Transportation officials Thursday will celebrate completion of a $41 million interchange improvement project in Lake Elsinore that was wrapped up ahead of schedule, increasing the location's capacity for higher traffic volumes.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the overhauled Interstate 15/Railroad Canyon Interchange is slated for 11 a.m. Thursday at 31800 Grape St., according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

Representatives from the RCTC, Caltrans District 8 and the city of Lake Elsinore are expected to be on hand.

RCTC officials said reconstruction and expansion of the existing interchange occurred "significantly ahead of schedule," originally estimated to be finished sometime in the fall.

The project began in May 2020. Some smaller scale tasks will continue in the construction zone in the coming months, but the bulk of the interchange is now accessible, officials said.

The new interchange features auxiliary lanes on I-15 to ease traffic flow into and out of Lake Elsinore, as well as wider on- and off-ramps.

The northbound Diamond Drive exit ramp that was previously in place has been replaced with hook-style ramps that connect to Grape Street, and pedestrian and bike paths have been established on Railroad Canyon to make transiting the area in something other than an automobile easier.

Additional information is available at www.rctc.org/projects/i15-railroad-canyon-interchange-project/.