Go Slow: Speed Limit Change on Riverside Freeway Ahead

The speed limit on the Riverside Freeway from the Orange Freeway to the Los Angeles County line will be reduced to 55 mph starting Sunday.

And pay attention to this, or you might be a lot poorer: Drivers who fail to slow down on the Riverside Freeway between the Orange and Santa Ana freeways can be fined double the original amount of their ticket.

Caltrans officials say that by lowering the speed limit, they are just following the lead of motorists who already slow because of construction. Most drivers already have dropped their speed to 55 mph, said a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation.

“We noticed there’s been a natural reduction of speed, and 90% to 95% of the traffic will automatically slow down when it enters the construction zone,” spokesman Albert Miranda said. “Now we’re bringing it to the attention of the other 5% to 10% that hasn’t yet slowed down.”

More than 210,000 cars and trucks travel the 11-mile corridor daily, and the Riverside Freeway is a major east-west trucking route for transporting goods throughout the Southern California region.

That some motorists are slowing down and others are maintaining the speed limit is a recipe for trouble, Miranda said.

Although the construction has occasionally created snarls on the freeway, accidents because of speeding have not been a significant problem, Miranda said.

The slower speed, however, will allow motorists to notice overnight changes to the road because of the construction, said Capt. Don Henderson of the California Highway Patrol’s Westminster division.

Once the reduced speed limits and double-fine signs are in place Sunday, drivers will have 30 days before the CHP begins issuing tickets, Henderson said. Fines are set by the court and vary according to each case.

All other freeways in Orange County have 65 mph speed limits, except for some rural highways like Ortega Highway and 1-mile stretches at the Santa Ana/Costa Mesa freeway interchange and the Costa Mesa/Garden Grove freeway interchange, Miranda said.

For more information regarding speed limit changes and double-fine zones, call the transportation help line at (714) 724-2077, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Caltrans at (714) 724-2000.

Information also can be found at the Caltrans Web site at https://www.dot.ca.gov/dist12.

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Slow Down

Due to construction, speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph