Nearly 360,000 motorists travel I-5 daily between the San Joaquin Hills Toll Road (SR-73) and El Toro Road. Transportation planners expect traffic volumes to grow 25 percent by 2045. To address this travel demand, OCTA and Caltrans are working together to implement the San Diego Freeway (I-5) Widening project from SR-73 to El Toro Road.
Located adjacent to the cities of Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel, this $580 million freeway improvement project is funded by OC Go (also known as Measure M) and includes numerous roadway, structural and operational improvements. To learn more about this project, please visit here.
As part of this project, there will be multiple lane and ramp closures this weekend to complete the temporary northbound I-5 Loop on-ramp from eastbound La Paz Road. Closures will occur from 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 to 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 28.
The installation of this temporary on-ramp marks a major milestone in the construction of the La Paz Rd interchange. The new loop on-ramp will allow access to the ramp throughout peak hours of travel for the duration of the project while creating a safe working environment for crews.
Lane closures include:
- Northbound I-5 Loop on-ramp from eastbound La Paz Road
- Right lane of eastbound La Paz Road between Cabot Road and Muirlands Boulevard
- Northbound I-5 La Paz Road off-ramp
- Northbound I-5 right two lanes between Oso Parkway and Alicia Parkway
The northbound I-5 on-ramp from westbound La Paz Road will be open at all times throughout the 31-hour closure. Eastbound La Paz Road traffic will be detoured to northbound Muirlands Boulevard and will then enter northbound I-5 from the Alicia Parkway on-ramp. All detour signage, including orange placards and electronic message signs, will be in place before the closure begins.
