Beginning Thursday, August 1, through early September 2013, a traffic split will be implemented on northbound I-5 starting approximately 2 miles south of Vista Del Lago Road to 2 miles south of Smokey Bear Road, a distance of about 4 miles. The traffic split is necessary so that crews can pave the #3 lane. At the traffic split, motorists in the #3 lane will merge into either the left (#2) lane or the right (#4) lane.

In the first stage of this operation, crews will work at night to restripe the road and place concrete barriers to prepare for the second stage — paving, which will begin August 12. Cones and channelizers will be used to close the #3 lane until the barriers are in place. Please begin looking for them after you pass Vista Del Lago Road.

The restriping will allow two lanes to the left of the #3 lane and one lane to the right of the #3 lane to remain open to traffic at all times (see map at right). There will be lane closures during the striping operation and barrier placement, so please drive carefully and prepare to slow for the cone zone. The barriers will remain in place until the paving operation is complete in September.

The traffic split will be in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You may hear construction noise during the closure, but it will not exceed levels allowed by state and federal regulations.