California Department of Transportation

09/26/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/26/2025 13:16

Northbound I-5 Closed September 26 to 29

Northbound I-5 Closed September 26 to 29

Published: Sep 26, 2025

District: District 11 - San Diego and Imperial Counties
Contact: Stephen Welborn
Phone: (619) 688-6670

SAN DIEGO - The Caltrans I-5 Asset Management Project team will close all lanes of northbound Interstate 5 (I-5) from Interstate 8 (I-8) to the northbound Mission Bay Drive onramp starting Friday, September 26, at 9:00 p.m. to Monday, September 29 at 5:00 a.m. to conduct roadwork and culvert replacement.

  • Northbound I-5 motorists are advised to take alternate routes like State Route 163 (SR-163) or State Route 15 (SR-15) and Interstate 805 (I-805) past I-8 to connect to I-5.
  • Northbound I-5 motorists traveling past SR-163 will be detoured to westbound or eastbound I-8.

The Moore Street onramp to northbound I-5 in Old Town will be closed to limit the amount of traffic detoured to I-8. Onramps at Camino Del Rio West in the Sport Arena Area and Sea World Drive/Tecolote Road, and Clairemont Drive will also be closed. The northbound I-5 onramp from Mission Bay Drive will remain open.

Portable, changeable message signs will be placed along the routes to advise of the closure and suggest alternate routes.

Businesses near Damon Avenue should anticipate construction noise and lighting during the closure.

TRANSIT

All northbound Metropolitan Transit Service bus routes to La Jolla and University Town Center (UTC) will be running as usual. Bus route 30 will travel from Old Town to La Jolla, taking a slight detour, while route 105 will travel from Old Town to UTC and will not be impacted. Parking is available at the Old Town and Balboa Avenue stations. Blue Line Trolley service will remain available as an alternative to travel from Old Town to all points north.

This is the second of several full freeway closures for the I-5 Asset Management Project.

The I-5 Asset Management Project will ensure that the southern segment of I-5 remains in a state of good repair while improving ride quality and reducing maintenance needs in the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, and National City, from Camino De La Plaza to 0.3 miles just south of Via De La Valle. This important effort is focused on preserving existing infrastructure, improving safety, and modernizing the corridor to meet current and future transportation needs.

The project will rehabilitate pavement along the main roadway, shoulders, and freeway ramps to extend the service life of the existing pavement. Beyond resurfacing, the project encompasses a comprehensive range of upgrades designed to enhance performance, safety, and environmental conservation.

The total project cost is $113,745,800, funded by the State Highway Operation Protection Program, with $102,618,300 in Federal funds and $11,127,500 in state funds from SB1. This project is part of $1.6 billion worth of work in San Diego County and a segment of the $623 million investment to improve safety and infrastructure on I-5, I-805, and SR-78.

Motorists are reminded to be Work Zone Alert if traveling in the area and to watch for highway workers and moving construction equipment.

The work schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions, traffic incidents, or other work-related reasons.

For real-time traffic information, including traffic speed, lane and road closures due to construction and maintenance activities, and more, go to https://http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

Follow @SDCaltrans on Twitter/X and like Caltrans District 11 on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SDCaltrans for news related to state transportation in San Diego and Imperial counties.

California Department of Transportation published this content on September 26, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 26, 2025 at 19:16 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]