California's first "smart freeway" begins operation on I-15 in Temecula
California's first "smart freeway" begins operation this Monday on the 15 Freeway corridor running through Temecula, aiming to ease the traffic congestion heading into Murrieta.
The $33 million project, which has been dubbed the "Smart Freeway Pilot Project," will operate for a two-year period to improve traffic conditions on northbound I-15 from the San Diego/Riverside County line in Temecula to the 15/215 Freeway interchange in Murrieta.
The project will deploy ramp meters at the Temecula Parkway, Rancho California Road and Winchester ramps during peak hours to improve freeway travel times through a coordinated system that adjusts in real time.
Additionally, digital messages will be displayed along the 8-mile stretch of freeway to recommend speeds that will help improve safety and the flow of traffic to drivers in real-time. Officials warned that drivers may have to wait slightly longer to get onto the freeway during the pilot period, but ultimately they aim to improve freeway travel times.
"Launching California's first smart freeway is an exciting step forward for Riverside County," said a statement from Riverside County Transportation Commission Chair Raymond Gregory. "Building our way out of traffic congestion is not an option. In today's environment of rapid growth, we must look at how we can combine technology with existing infrastructure to improve the driving experience."
RCTC officials will work with Caltrans to analyze the results of the project over two years and determine if the system is successful. If so, they said they will consider implementing the same system in other parts of Riverside County.
The project received funding from state, federal and local sources. $27 million of the total was received through federal funding, while $5 million came through a congressional Community Project Funding request from Rep. Ken Calvert in 2022, and an additional $1 million came from California.
Construction on the project began in January 2025, at which point crews installed the "smart" technology and coordinated the on-ramp signal timing.
