Transportation officials will shut down eastbound State Route 78 at South Rancho Santa Fe Road for four consecutive nights this week as part of ongoing highway improvements in the area.
The full closure is scheduled to take place from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly beginning Monday, October 19, and continuing through Thursday, October 22. Crews will use the overnight hours to install new weight-in-motion sensors in the roadway, according to Caltrans.
Drivers heading east will be directed off the highway at the South Rancho Santa Fe Road exit and can return to the freeway using the same street's onramp. Electronic message boards will be posted along the route to alert motorists to the closure and suggest alternative paths.
The sensor work is part of a larger $126 million project designed to upgrade nearly 18 miles of SR-78 between Interstate 5 in Oceanside and the Broadway and Lincoln Parkway interchange in Escondido. Project goals include maintaining existing roadway infrastructure, enhancing safety features, and updating the corridor to accommodate present and future traffic demands.
Residents and businesses near the work zone should prepare for construction noise, lighting, and heavier traffic on local streets during the overnight closures. The schedule may change if weather, traffic incidents, or other circumstances require adjustments.