Debris Closes I-15 Near Temecula
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TEMECULA — A contractor using explosives to shear a hill for a new truck inspection station accidentally blew rocks across half of Interstate 15 Tuesday, closing the main route from San Diego to Riverside.
California Highway Patrol Capt. David Webb said the accident completely shut I-15’s northbound lanes about 2 miles south of Temecula for an hour, starting about 4 p.m.
The contractor for the California Department of Transportation is building the truck station north of the U.S. Border Patrol’s inspection station.
Blasting was necessary to remove part of a hillside to make room for the station, Webb said.
The CHP slows motorists to create a gap in traffic during each blast, and normally little debris ends up on the road, officials said.
Traffic backed up at least 4 miles.
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