A fourth lane of travel on the 5 Freeway north of Castaic has been reopened for travel, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday travel season.

At 4 a.m. Tuesday, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) opened a fourth lane on the northbound Interstate 5 in Castaic, where the Route Fire caused significant damage to retaining walls that support the roadway in this mountainous area, officials said.

NOW OPEN! 😃 A fourth lane opened today on Northbound I-5 in #Castaic after crews repaired damage from #RouteFire. Work is continuing. 55mph speed limit! @santaclarita #SantaClarita @CaltransDist6 @CHP_Newhall @CHPFortTejon @kathrynbarger @ScottWilkCA @suzettemartinez pic.twitter.com/bcRKVJc04l

— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) November 15, 2022

Due to fire damage, only two northbound lanes were open after the wildfire, which started on Aug. 31, until Sept. 15, when the left shoulder was paved to serve as a third northbound lane, Caltrans officials said.

“Since then, Caltrans has worked to open a fourth lane of travel before the Thanksgiving holiday travel season to reduce traffic impact in the city of Santa Clarita and the Castaic region,” officials said.

Additional repair work is planned to continue through early 2023, including slope stabilization, drainage work, fence repairs, lane repair and retaining-wall work, according to Caltrans officials.

“The additional repairs are set to include cleaning and painting steel beams in the retaining walls, installing more than 670 feet of metal guard rails and over 6,300 feet of wire fencing and erosion prevention by hydroseeding 35 acres near the freeway burned by the Route Fire,” read Tuesday’s announcement.

The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph in the construction zone, which is about three miles north of Lake Hughes Road. Caltrans reminds drivers that traffic fines are doubled in construction zones.

Caltrans urges drivers to “Slow for the Cone Zone” and “Be Work Zone Alert.”

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.