I-10 still shut down, yet California officials expect partial reopening next month

Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023:

California officials said Caltrans crews are ahead of schedule on clean-up from the massive fire under I-10 that shut the interstate down on Nov. 11. The closure is expected to last into December.CaltransThe California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) expects the portion of I-10 that was damaged by a fire last weekend to partially reopen to traffic sometime in December.

The interstate was damaged after a fire -- which is suspected to have been caused by arson -- spread to a storage area underneath the interstate in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 11. I-10 has been closed in both directions between the East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street since.

According to Caltrans, crews are working around the clock to repair the damage caused by the fire and critical materials for the repair are already on-site.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday, Nov. 15, that crews have removed all hazardous materials from the repair site and that Caltrans now has full access to the site “to shore up support pillars and expedite repairs.”

“This critical, ahead-of-schedule milestone helps us safely get Los Angeles’ traffic moving in December,” Newsom said. “I’m grateful for Caltrans District 7’s around-the-clock work to safely repair the 10 as quickly as possible.”

The clearing of the hazmat happened two days ahead of schedule, according to Newsom. The fire reportedly caused damage to approximately 100 support pillars.