Lane and connector ramp closures are planned Thursday night on northbound Interstate 15 just south of Temecula, where a freeway traffic monitoring project utilizing smart technology will require crews to install equipment.
The closures are scheduled between 10 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday, impacting connector ramps at Rancho California and Winchester roads, as well as Temecula Parkway. One or more northbound lanes will also be shut down between the San Diego County line and Temecula, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
The agency said the activity is part of the $33.5 million “I-15 Smart Freeway Pilot Project,” which got underway in the winter of 2025.
The project entails deploying ramp meters that track vehicular volume to optimize automated control of traffic lights that signal when motorists may enter the freeway.
“Designed as a two-year pilot project, it’s anticipated to improve overall traffic flow and reduce rear-end collisions by maintaining steady travel speeds within the I-15 corridor, without highway expansion and related construction costs and impacts,” according to the RCTC. “Drivers may initially experience short delays on the on-ramps but will gain overall time savings once on the freeway, with fewer stops and starts.”
Along with the RCTC, Caltrans, the city of Temecula and the Western Riverside County Council of Governments are involved in the project, which is slated to end next year.
Additional information is available at rctc.org/projects/smart-fwy-pilot/.