Hazardous materials teams clear burned material from underneath Interstate 10 as crews assess damage
Los Angeles motorists should expect traffic snarls during the Monday commute as crews assess how much damage was caused by a raging fire over the weekend that closed a major elevated interstate highway near downtown, officials said.
Hazardous materials teams were clearing burned material from underneath Interstate 10 to make way for engineers who will ensure the columns and deck of the highway can support the 300,000 vehicles that typically travel that route daily, the governor, Gavin Newsom, said at a news conference on Sunday.
“Remember, this is an investigation as to the cause of how this occurred, as well as a hazmat and structural engineering question,” Newsom said. “Can you open a few lanes? Can you retrofit the columns? Is the bridge deck intact to allow for a few lanes to remain open again?”
Interstate 10 is closed in both directions in downtown LA between Alameda St. & East LA interchange. Caltrans is assessing damage from a fire under I-10 & will reopen I-10 as soon as possible. In the meantime, use other routes! Here’s a peek under the freeway. pic.twitter.com/tuuiegdCpV— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) November 12, 2023
Newsom said answering those questions would be a “24-7 operation”, but officials could not yet offer a timeline for when the highway might reopen.
