By ONME Newswire
LOS ANGELES, Calif.--The 10 Freeway in Los Angeles – closed due to a fire over the weekend was at first set to open in three to five weeks; it is now set to be reopened before theThanksgiving holiday next week.
Over the weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles County to support the state’s response. The major artery that serves 300,000 vehicles daily closed in both directions this past weekend after a fire caused significant damage to up to 100 support pillars.
However, after testing samples and assessing damage from the site, state transportation officials currently believe the damage can be repaired without demolishing and rebuilding the 450-foot span of the 10 Freeway, which could have taken upwards of 6 months. Union crews are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to finish removing the extensive debris and shore up the pillars.
Additionally, on-site environmental monitoring is in place to fortify drains and ensure that every precaution is in place to contain area run-off due to incoming storms. An earlier evaluation of the site identified no highly toxic chemicals in the aftermath of the fire.
Critical materials for the repairs are already on-site and no supply challenges are anticipated at this time.
The Governor also announced that by the end of the week, the state will have a livestream of the construction work so the public can see the progress firsthand.
Meanwhile, The Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass provided a traffic update related to the repair of the 10 freeway with up-to-date information about detours and street closures as part of efforts to ensure Angelenos are informed during this difficult time.
The Mayor’s Office announced the following additional actions to alleviate traffic impacts on commuters and communities as they continue to navigate the impacts of the 10 freeway shutdown and forecasted rain:
The Mayor has directed the Department of Transportation to make the CommuterExpress buses free to help Angelenos safely and quickly get to Downtown via public transportation. LADOT DASH buses remain free as well.
Beginning today, the City is addressing a major bottleneck on the Alameda corridor by creating an additional turn lane in each direction to improve traffic flow.
Additional white-glove traffic officers continue to be stationed throughout the closure area.