With less than two months away before the official Winter Season in Southern California begins on Dec. 21, California Department of Transportation crews are beginning preparations for the first show flurries and heavy rain that is expected in the Valleys and the snow in nearby mountains.
Caltrans has more that 1,500 pieces of heavy machinery being prepared and road clearing materials coming to their maintenance yards. Many of those snow plows and graders are located in the mountains surrounding our nearby mountains.
Although our valleys do not experience much snow during the winter season, a lot of snow falls in the San Jacinto, San Bernardino and San Diego mountains around us. It is always good to be prepared for occasional winter driving in those mountain areas which is much different than in the lower elevations.
Here are a few tips from Caltrans to be prepared for those upcoming driving conditions.
Winter Driving Tips
Before you get on the road during the winter season, go to the Caltrans website and check QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) for real-time traffic information or call 1-800-427-ROAD.
Move Over to allow Caltrans maintenance crews, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers, and other emergency personnel to perform the important tasks needed to keep the roads open and quickly respond to emergencies.
Turn on your headlights to see and be seen. Be observant and maintain a safe distance behind snow removal equipment. Do not crowd the plow. Do not pass snow plows unless directed to do so by law enforcement or emergency public service personnel.
Be prepared for delays and carry extra food, water, blankets and other essentials, and pack cell phone chargers.
Check your tires. Make sure they are properly inflated, and the tread is in good condition. Always carry chains. Make sure they are the proper size for your tires and are in working order.
Winterize your vehicle. Make sure brakes, windshield wipers, heater/defroster, and exhaust system are in good working order. Make sure fluids are topped-off, especially windshield washer fluid.
Reduce your speed to match driving conditions and allow more time to reach your destination. Know that bridges and ramps may be more slippery and icier than the roadway.
Keep your electric vehicle batteries charged and your fuel tank full. Bad weather may cause long delays or closures.
If you start sliding on snow or ice, slowly take your foot off the gas pedal and steer in the direction you wish to travel. Do not lock your brakes—pump the brakes if needed or apply steady pressure if your vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes.
Additional winter safe driving tips and more information about Caltrans efforts to prepare the transportation system for seasonal weather can be found on the Caltrans website at https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-driving-tips.
Caltrans highway project update
Caltrans reports that with the Veterans Day Holiday coming up there will be no lane closures from Friday, Nov. 8 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Menifee/Murrieta
Caltrans alerts the public that construction is taking place near the city of Menifee and Murrieta. Daytime work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, with shoulder closures in effect. Please note that while there will be no lane closures on Friday, shoulder closures will remain in place. Crews are scheduled to work on both the South-Bound and North-Bound directions of Interstate 215. The project aims to improve road surface, update shoulder rumble strips, enhance culverts, upgrade guardrails, stabilize slopes, and boost highway worker safety along the stretch near Murrieta, from 1 mile north of Clinton Keith Road to 1 mile north of Newport Road.
Construction crews will focus on several key tasks, including landscaping, rock blanket installation, and other related activities. Shoulder closures will be in effect on northbound I-215 at the Scott Road Loop off-ramp for the rock blanket installation. Nighttime work will include some lane reductions on southbound I-215 for the installation of the Midwest Guardrail System near Keller Road undercrossing
Additionally, day work will continue on both directions of I-215 between Clinton Keith Road and McCall Boulevard. Commuter access will remain open, with shoulder closures in effect.
Perris
A major pavement improvement is taking place on I-215 in Perris. Commuters will experience slowdowns and road closures until Fall 2026 on I-215 as repair work on the 6.2 mile stretch of roadway will occur on both the northbound and southbound directions between San Jacinto River Bridge and the Ramona Expressway.
The project will refurbish the existing roads with new pavement, enhance safety, and improve accessibility on the well traveled thoroughfare.The work will take place weekly, from Monday to Friday. Daytime work will be scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.. Monday to Thursday night time work will be scheduled from 8:p.m. to 4 a.m. Ramp work will also take place at Redlands and Nuevo Road. Upcoming nighttime work will include full closures of both the on-ramps and off-ramps on I-215 northbound and southbound at Ramona Expressway. While commuter access will remain open during daytime work, nighttime operations will require full ramp closures. Night work next week is weather permitting. Drivers should anticipate potential delays.This project is anticipated to be completed in fall 2026.
Hemet
Caltrans continues work on State Route 74 (Florida Ave.) in Hemet. The work zone is in Hemet on SR-74 from Winchester Road to Fairview Avenue for the project length of 11.2 miles. Driveway, curb ramp, sidewalk construction, paving and micro trenching will take place. Winchester Road to Lyon Ave. in downtown Hemet loop installation and final striping is taking place,, but the highway will remain open. Any flagging operations will be primarily at night. Radar detection signs will be in place. Expect delays up to 15 minutes. There will be intermittent, short-term closures for equipment.
Then paving operations from Lyon Ave. to Yale St. will require flagging operations, primarily at night. This will be a layered paving operation which takes several weeks to complete. Coming soon will be paving operations from Yale St. to Fairview St. in Valle Vista.
Also, pedestrians should beware of ongoing ADA curb ramp and sidewalk construction. Please follow indicated signage and watch for safety cones to avoid work areas. Motorists keep your speeds down. This ongoing construction activity is expected to be completed by summer of 2025.
While work on the Strawberry Creek bridge up to Mountain Center is nearly complete, final cleanup work is still underway with some flagging operations taking place at different times. Be aware of the working crewman.
Riverside
Caltrans work is still taking place until Nov. 9 on I-215 where Contractors are performing work in the City of Jurupa Valley and City of Riverside from Wineville Road. to State Route 60, State Route 91, and Interstate 215.Weather permitting. The westbound SR 60 on-ramp at Market Street will be closed for improvements until 7 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9. The work will include ramp widening. Please pay attention to signs notifying motorists of the upcoming ramp closures and construction zones.
Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com.
