5 Freeway to Shutdown for Ortega Bridge Demolition

Both sides of the 5 Freeway will close down Saturday night for the demolition of the north side of the Ortega Highway Bridge.

Originally scheduled for Friday night but pushed back a day because of the rain, the work is part of the $86 million I-5/Ortega Highway Interchange Improvement Project.

Weather permitting Saturday night, the bridge is expected to close at 11 p.m., and the freeway will close in both directions at midnight. Both roads are anticipated to reopen at 6 a.m. Demolition work will continue again Friday, with road closures again set to begin at 11 p.m. and end at 6 a.m.

Motorists traveling north and south on I-5 will be diverted onto the Ortega Highway off-ramps and back onto I-5 via the Ortega Highway on-ramps. Motorists who want to drive into San Juan Capistrano from I-5 must use the Camino Capistrano or Junipero Serra Road exits.

If the demolition is not completed Dec. 12 and 13, work will continue on Dec. 19 and 20.

Demolition of the bridge will allow crews to move forward on completing the northbound loop on-ramp to I-5, which is expected to open by the end of January 2015.

The project includes widening the Ortega Highway overcrossing, reconstruction of on- and off-ramps and reconfiguration of the Ortega Highway/Del Obispo Street intersection to help relieve traffic for regional commuters and local drivers.

• The Orange County Transportation Authority contributed to this report.
• Photo Credit: The Ortega Interchange Project Facebook Page