Huge Traffic Choke Scheduled On Ortega Highway At 5 Freeway

For those who use the Ortega Highway to commute back and forth from Riverside County to Orange County, construction delays at the bridge over the I-5 Freeway are about to get worse.

Beginning Jan. 2, workers will reduce – for the duration of the $86 million construction project – the number of lanes on the southbound freeway off-ramp from three to one, according to Caltrans.

Currently, the off-ramp’s three lanes is set up with two dedicated left-turn lanes and one dedicated right-turn lane. The new configuration will provide only one lane to make both left and right-turns onto Ortega Highway, according to a notice from Caltrans.

“With the reduced lane configuration, the I-5/Ortega Highway team would like to remind everyone to plan ahead and allow extra time to commute to and from your destinations while in the construction area,” the notice reads.

Caltrans is reminding motorists that alternate routes in San Juan Capistrano are available at Junipero Serra Road, Camino Capistrano, Rancho Viejo Road, La Novia Avenue and San Juan Creek Road.