Travel Update Interstate
15
Video UPDATE: https://youtu.be/LowFT5wh9zg

San
Bernardino – The California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) is informing the traveling public that a section
of southbound Interstate 15 (I-15) collapsed yesterday (Friday) evening during
an epic storm event. A dry creek bed that runs along the southbound side of the
interstate overflowed and washed away the rock slope protection below the roadbed.
It then eroded the lower slope and caused the shoulder and number 5 lane to
collapse for a 200 foot section of the route.
Currently
only two lanes remain open to motorists between State Route 138 (SR 138) and
Cleghorn Road. Caltrans District 8 Director, John Bulinski,
signed a Director’s Order in the early morning hours to begin emergency repairs
to I-15. A $3 million project was awarded to Skanska, Inc. and the contractor
is currently mobilizing equipment and staff.
Caltrans Construction Engineers and Maintenance Crews have devised a plan to restripe lanes on southbound I-15
to allow four lanes of traffic to motorists while the repairs take place.
Beginning tonight, (Saturday) February
18, at 9:00 P.M. the Southbound I-15 will be reduced to one lane from State Route
138 to Cleghorn Road, to allow a striping contractor to complete the necessary
work to provide the four lanes of traffic. One lane will remain available
throughout tonight into tomorrow until the restriping is completed. Weather
conditions may delay the restriping efforts and Caltrans will alert the
public once the lanes reopen tomorrow via Twitter @caltrans8.
Once
the four lanes are open Skanska will work behind k-rail to repair the fallen
roadbed and
damaged
slope. This will allow a longer period of time to make permanent, rather than
temporary repairs, with concrete instead of asphalt.
THE
LANES IN THIS SECTION OF I-15 WILL BE REDUCED IN SIZE FROM THE NORMAL
WIDTH.
MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO REDUCE THEIR SPEED THROUGH THE WORK ZONE AND DRIVE FOR
THOSE CONDITIONS. BE ALERT AND DO NOT CHANGE LANES THORUGH THE RESTRIPED
PORTION OF I-15. TRUCKS MUST ONLY USE THE RIGHT LANE FOR TRAVEL.
State
Route 138 west and east of Interstate-15 remain closed due to flooding and
debris flow. Caltrans crews are currently cleaning SR 138 on the west side and
hope to reopen that section by tomorrow morning.
SR
138 east of I-15 will remain closed to Summit Valley Rd. until further notice
so the
contractor
can move material from a current construction site to I-15 for backfill.
Stay
connected with Caltrans and traffic conditions with our Quickmap at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.