Ortega Highway Closing Again This Weekend In Riverside County

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Another 55-hour complete shutdown of the Ortega Highway between the Orange County Line and Monte Vista Street near Lake Elsinore is scheduled again this weekend.

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

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.

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 can 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 can 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 Aug. 27-30 during the same hours. The shutdowns are necessary to enable crews to complete excavation work, removing and replacing slabs without interruption, Caltrans officials said.

The first full weekend closure occurred July 16-19.

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 a series of 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, Caltrans said.

Crews are also 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.