RIVERSIDE, Calif. –

The Riverside County Transportation Commission’s (RCTC) I-15 Smart Freeway Pilot Project will require an extended full closure of the Rancho California Road loop on-ramp for northbound I-15 in Temecula. The loop on-ramp will close beginning on Thursday, August 14 at 9 p.m. through Monday, August 25 at 5 a.m. The closure will allow crews to reconstruct the roadway and construct a concrete barrier on the Rancho California Road on-ramp. The on-ramp will be reconfigured and realigned to create a merge point between the Rancho California Road direct and loop on-ramp.

Motorists are advised to travel east on Rancho California Road, northbound on Ynez Road, and west on Winchester Road to enter northbound I-15.

Closure dates are subject to change due to weather, site conditions, construction progress, and other factors.

The Smart Freeway system provides an innovative solution to reduce traffic without costly roadway expansions that have been increasingly difficult-to-implement. Smart Freeway systems have been tested and found to be successful in reducing travel time, accidents, and greenhouse gas emissions across various parts of Australia and in Denver Colorado. The State now seeks to make the system permanent.

For more information about the Smart Freeway Pilot Project and to sign up for construction updates, please visit www.rctc.org/projects/smart-fwy-pilot/