A crucial stretch of the 10 Freeway remained closed through downtown L.A. after a major fire damaged the highway early Saturday.
Here is what we know:
Closures
- 10 Freeway between East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street.
- 10 Freeway westbound diverted at Alameda Street.
- 5 Freeway north and south transition to 10 Freeway westbound.
- 60 Freeway transition east and west to 10 Freeway westbound.
- Alameda Street closed in area.
Source: Caltrans
Traffic effects
Officials are urging drivers to avoid the area and take alternative routes.
“Angelenos planning to attend major sporting events in or around Downtown Los Angeles, please plan for delays and check for alternative routes. Traffic officers are on location to alleviate traffic impacts. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the impacted area. Please heed traffic officer instructions,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.
“I would encourage people to avoid this area between the East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street,” added Lauren Wonder, a CalTrans spokeswoman.
The big test will come Monday during the morning commute if the freeway remains closed.
What’s next
The fire damaged the freeway pillars, but Caltrans is not sure how bad the situation is and how quickly repairs can be made.
“We see what we call ‘concrete spalling,’ which is chips of concrete that come off, but we won’t know the extent of the damage until the structural engineers can go in and see if the rebar was burned or not,” she said. “This is still developing.”
Officials expect to provide an update Sunday afternoon.