Three-week closure allowed crews to reconfigure roadway
ORANGE – Ortega Highway between the San Diego Freeway (I-5) and Del Obispo Street in San Juan Capistrano reopened today.
The segment was closed to allow crews to reconfigure the roadway as part of the I-5/Ortega Highway Interchange Improvement Project.
Westbound motorists on Ortega Highway are being funneled onto Del Obispo under the new configuration.
Traffic also was shifted to the newly constructed portion of the southbound I-5 off-ramp and to the newly constructed bridge on Monday morning. The bridge has reopened to pedestrians, and the southbound I-5 off-ramp has opened, as well.
Work is continuing on the portion of Ortega Highway between Del Obispo Street and El Camino Real. That segment is expected to reopen Dec. 5.
In mid-December, the north side of the Ortega Highway bridge over I-5 is set for demolition. The work, scheduled to begin Dec. 12, is expected to take two nights. The freeway will be closed during the demolition, and motorists will be detoured using the Ortega Highway off- and on-ramps.
The $86 million improvement project includes the widening of the Ortega Highway bridge and the reconstruction of on- and off-ramps to help ease traffic congestion for regional commuters and local drivers.
For more information, please visit www.octa.net/ortega.
