Southbound I-15 closed tonight at 7 p.m. through Carmel Mountain Ranch and Rancho Penasquitos; re-opens 4 a.m. Monday

SAN DIEGO - Southbound Interstate 15 through Carmel Mountain Ranch and Rancho Penasquitos will be closed for construction beginning today, Saturday, July 27 at 7 p.m.

All of the normal southbound travel lanes of the freeway are scheduled to be shut down from until 4 a.m. Monday, July 29 from state Route 56/Ted Williams Parkway to the Rancho Penasquitos Boulevard/Poway Road exit, according to Gustavo Dallarda, the director of the I-15 Corridor for Caltrans.

He said the area floods during storms, "so we're trying to make these drainage improvements so that the water doesn't concentrate during those major (rain) events, so that people don't hydroplane, and they're safe on the highway.''

The southbound express lanes will remain open but could be congested.

Caltrans will have detour signs posted. The closure is expected to be removed in time for Monday morning's commute.

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]Southbound Interstate 15 will have detour this weekend near State Route 56 - Ted Williams Parkway

SAN DIEGO - Southbound Interstate 15 (I-15) motorists will be detoured around an approximately 3-mile stretch of I-15 near State Route 56 (SR-56) this weekend. The roadway will be closed for drainage improvements.

The closure will occur this Saturday, July 27, from 7 p.m. through 4 a.m. Monday, July 29 from SR-56/Ted Williams Parkway to Rancho Peñasquitos Boulevard/Poway Road.

"The public should anticipate traffic congestion and potentially lengthy delays during this closure," Caltrans Corridor Director Gustavo Dallarda said.

The southbound I-15 Express Lanes will serve as the primary detour and will be available to all motorists at no charge. Motorists who do not use the Express Lanes will be detoured on to westbound SR-56, then south on Black Mountain Road, then left on Mercy Road, and will re-enter the southbound I-15 at the Mercy Road on-ramp. Northbound lanes on I-15 will not be affected by this closure.

"A closure of this magnitude is relatively rare, and the best thing for motorists to do is steer clear of the area completely," Dallarda said. "As always, motorists are reminded to slow down, watch out for highway workers, and safely move over a lane when they see flashing amber lights on Caltrans or other emergency vehicles."

The California Highway Patrol will monitor the construction zone.