Caltrans’ $171 million Interstate 5 Roadway Rehabilitation Project in the Santa Clarita Valley gets underway tonight, with temporary lane closures set for the hours between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and on most nights for the duration of the project.

Tonight, workers will paint new temporary lanes with lower speed limits on a section of I-5 (aka the Golden State Freeway) in Santa Clarita.

The roadway rehabilitation project will repair and replace the pavement on nearly 16 miles of I-5 from State Route 14 (aka the Antelope Valley Freeway) to north of Lake Hughes Road in northern Los Angeles County.

The construction phase of the project starting tonight is expected to be completed in summer 2019. The work will be done in short sections of two miles or less, to reduce inconvenience to the traveling public.

Much of the work will be done at night, requiring some lane closures on most weeknights.

Between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., at least two freeway lanes will be kept open for traffic in the work zone, except midnight to 4 a.m., when at least one lane will be open for traffic.

The first area to receive new pavement is between Calgrove Boulevard and State Route 14. There, beginning at approximately 9 p.m. Monday, Caltrans will close some southbound lanes while workers place concrete barriers (“K-rail”) along the freeway and adjust some lanes to create a safe working area for construction crews.

By Wednesday night, July 12, the same activity is scheduled to begin on the northbound side, involving placement of concrete barriers and shifting the location of freeway lanes.

For safety reasons in the construction area, a temporary speed limit will be posted, typically 50 or 55 mph depending on location. Caltrans advises drivers to be alert and drive defensively, especially in work zones. Traffic fines are doubled in construction areas, and the California Highway Patrol will be on duty.

Atkinson Construction of Irvine, Calif., is the contractor on the project, which is being paid by state funds from the State Highway Operation and Protection Program, which funds the repair and preservation of the state highway system.

The schedule is subject to change and weather-permitting. Future updates and more information about the project will be available from the Caltrans website and on Twitter @CaltransDist7.