With Damage Unknown Ortega Highway Remains Closed

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA - Caltrans says Ortega Highway (state route 74) which was closed last week from storm damage could fully reopen in three weeks, according to reports.

However, the three-week schedule is weather permitting, officials said.

Geo-technical engineers for Caltrans noticed a section Ortega Highway is sagging with large cracks in the roadway.

“What we’re concerned about is whether or not the rest of the roadway in the area and nearby is stable,” Caltrans spokesperson Jocelyn Whitfield told The Orange County Register.

Those heading eastbound on Ortega can only get as far as Antonio Parkway, about three miles from the I-5 freeway. In Lake Elsinore the highway is closed at Grand Avenue.

However, the road remains open for people who live along the highway.

It's estimated the highway is traveled by an average of 31,000 people daily.

- Image of State Route 74 from June 2011 via Ken Lund Flickr