Repair of 10 Freeway is moving at full speed, officials say

Los Angeles city and local transportation officials stuck with the projected three-to-five-week estimate for at least a partial reopening of the fire-damaged 10 Freeway during a traffic briefing Thursday, Nov. 16, rebuffing media reports hinting that travelers may be able to tap some lanes as early as Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, as work to repair and reopen the section of the freeway that runs through downtown L.A. continues at full speed, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who chairs the Metro Executive Management Committee, on Thursday introduced a motion to promote ridership and expand services offered by the countywide transportation system. Her motion was approved by the Executive Committee.

“One of our main priorities is to get more Angelenos riding Metro, with less Angelenos on the road, to help with congestion,” Zach Seidl, the mayor’s spokesperson, said during Thursday’s traffic briefing.

Since Monday, Metrolink has expanded service on its San Bernardino Line to shuttle commuters between L.A. Union Station and Covina, as well as between L.A. Union Station and Rancho Cucamonga.

During Thursday’s traffic briefing, Seidl also said there would be no new timetable for reopening lanes after at least one media outlet quoted a Caltrans engineer saying it was possible that some freeway lanes could be running at full capacity next week “just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday,” after shoring was raised, night lighting fixed, and barrier railing repaired.

Caltrans District Traffic Manager Ken Young called the report “untrue as far as I am concerned.”

The fire-scorched stretch of 10 Ffeeway, between Alameda Street and the East Los Angeles interchange, has been closed in both directions since Saturday, when a pallet fire that started underneath the freeway caused  extensive damage.

The freeway is expected to remain closed while crews work to bolster the freeway’s damaged deck, and to repair about 100 damaged support columns. The closure has had a sweeping impact on businesses in the area, increased delay times for motorists and sparked more drivers to opt for public transit.

Officials initially feared the closure would last months if that damaged section of the freeway had to be fully demolished and rebuilt. But Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that tests on concrete and rebar determined that the structural integrity was better than anticipated, so the freeway can be repaired without a full teardown.

L.A. Deputy Mayor Randall Winston said Thursday that, after monitoring traffic conditions this week, the city was addressing a “main bottleneck” along the Alameda Corridor by creating an extra turn lane in each direction. Also, Laura Rubio-Cornejo, general manager of the city’s Department of Transportation, said two left-hand turn lanes had been added to exits at Olympic Boulevard and at Alameda Street to ease traffic snarls.

Earlier this week, Mayor Bass directed the city’s transportation department to make Commuter Express bus rides free and rode a Metro line herself to encourage more people to take public transit. DASH buses are also free for riders.

In addition, ahead of this week’s rain, the mayor requested that more “white-glove traffic officers” be assigned to help direct traffic on city streets.

Laura Rubio-Cornejo updated motorists about detours during Thursday’s briefing, noting the following:

• The first opportunity to enter downtown streets for drivers traveling on the 10 East is Seventh Street. If motorists miss that offramp, the final chance to enter downtown streets will be at Santa Fe Avenue and Mateo Street.
• Coming from the west, drivers are urged to transfer onto the 110 Freeway, where then can exit onto several downtown streets. The last downtown exit in that direction is Alameda Boulevard.Jennifer Vidas, the customer-experience director of Metro, said it was clear people were adjusting to changes in their commutes, adding that additional vehicle parking had been added for riders at nearby stations.

Jennifer Vidas urged folks headed to weekend activities — including Saturday’s USC-UCLA football game, the L.A. Car Show, the NFL Rams-Seahawks match, as well as Lakers and Clippers games — to use public transit.

Caltrans’ Young said a sampling of travel times on the 10 indicated that delays had doubled — from an average of 15 minutes to more than 30 minutes — since the lanes were shut down on Saturday amid the fire. Like all officials, he urged residents to work from home, stay off freeways, use public transportation and plan unavoidable trips strategically.

The mayor’s office will provide another traffic update at 6 a.m. Friday, which will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/MayorOfLA.

For the latest on the 10 Freeway closure, alternate routes and transportation options, visit emergency.lacity.gov.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Source: Orange County Register