RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC or Commission), in partnership with Caltrans and the city of Temecula, is gearing up to begin construction on the innovative I-15 Smart Freeway Pilot Project in Temecula and Murrieta. The public is invited to learn more about this project as construction is anticipated to start this summer and with the two-year pilot testing period beginning in 2025.

“RCTC is constantly looking for ways to improve travel times and reduce congestion on our highways,” said RCTC Commission chair, Lloyd White. “Building new roads takes funding and years of preparation to construct. By using this new technology, we can help reduce traffic congestion and speed up travel time for Riverside County residents now without having to spend years in construction.”

The Smart Freeway Pilot Project will use intelligent transportation systems and sensors to continuously monitor real-time traffic conditions to adjust the number of vehicles that enter the highway. The system is designed to improve traffic flow and reduce collisions on the eight-mile, non-tolled section of the northbound I-15 from the San Diego/Riverside County in Temecula to the I-15/I-215 Interchange in Murrieta.

This section of the northbound 15 between the County Line and the 215/15 interchanges experiences severe traffic congestion due to the high volume of vehicles entering the highway at Temecula Parkway, Rancho California Road, and Winchester Road on-ramps, especially during peak afternoon and evening hours. The project will use a dynamic coordinated metering system that will allow more or fewer vehicles to enter the freeway at a given time, allowing for a smoother traffic flow on the northbound I-15.

To learn more about this project, the community is invited to join RCTC for in-person or virtual community open house meetings to learn more about the project and to ask the project team questions. For those who cannot attend either the in-person community open house or virtual public meeting, a virtual “Smart Room” is available at smartfreeway.org.

To learn more about the Smart Freeway Pilot Project, visit the project page at rctc.org/smartfreeway.