Community Corner

Full Freeway Closure Planned for I-5 at Ortega This Weekend

The late-night shutdown means locals won't be able to cross the freeway on Ortega Highway.

The I-5 in San Juan Capistrano will experience a full-freeway closure this weekend, impacting late-night and early-morning motorists, according to Caltrans.

Drivers will be forced to exit at Ortega Highway and immediately enter the freeway again, says a Caltrans alert.

The closures will continue for three consecutive weekends, concluding March 15. It’s all part of building a new Ortega Highway bridge over the I-5 and new on- and off-ramps.

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Meanwhile, during the day, workers will conduct pile driving starting in late-February on the I-5 southbound off-ramp at Ortega Highway. This activity will take place on weekdays between 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., according to Caltrans.

Pile driving is necessary to reconstruct the off-ramp and will last intermittently for approximately one month. 

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Please be advised that this activity may be loud and disruptive due to vibration and pounding,” says a Caltrans alert.

Here are this week’s schedule closings:                                   

Full Closures:

Northbound I-5 freeway at Ortega Highway closed between 11:59 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday 

Ortega Highway between Rancho Viejo Road and Del Obispo Street between 11:59 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday     

Ramp and Lane Closures:

Crews will not perform any ramp or lane closures this week as they work to complete the newly poured deck on the south half of the Ortega Highway bridge. Regularly scheduled closures are expected to resume next week.  


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