Accident, road closures makes for a miserable traffic day

A broken fire hydrant remains on the corner of Antelope Road and Albion Lane after a three-vehicle accident next to MSJC. Menifee 24/7 photo by Doug Spoon

The combination of a freeway interchange closure and a major traffic accident nearby resulted in a huge traffic mess in Menifee Tuesday morning.

The closure of the Scott Road bridge and all ramps to traffic was announced the day before. They were closed around 8 p.m. Monday and the target time for re-opening with two new ramps in service was 5 a.m., before rush hour. However, the closures weren't lifted until about 8 a.m., according to motorists in the area. In addition, one freeway lane each way under the bridge was closed, slowing freeway traffic even more than normal.

Antelope Road was a major detour route for northbound traffic headed to the Newport interchange as alternate freeway access. Unfortunately, a traffic accident at the intersection of Antelope Road and Albion Lane closed a portion of Antelope in front of Mt. San Jacinto College, causing a traffic jam and making additional detours necessary.

According to Cal Fire and the Sheriff's Department, the three-vehicle collision was reported at 5:28 a.m. One person was trapped inside a vehicle, required extrication and was transported with major injuries. Antelope Road was closed from Holland Road to La Piedra Road for several hours, affecting traffic in and out of the college.

After the road was re-opened, work crews continued to clean up the intersection of Antelope and Albion because of a broken fire hydrant.

Later, at about 1 p.m., firefighters responded to two small grass fires on the east side of the freeway near the northbound off-ramp at McCall Boulevard. The ramp was closed while crews quickly extinguished the flames.

As seen from Antelope Road just north of Scott Road, vehicles head down the new northbound freeway on-ramp. Menifee 24/7 photo by Kristen Spoon

The old northbound freeway on-ramp is blocked off so vehicles will enter the new ramp, just east of it. Menifee 24/7 photo by Kristen Spoon