Traffic jams are expected throughout Monday’s commute in Los Angeles as workers evaluate the extent of the damage caused by the weekend fire that shuttered a key elevated highway close to downtown.
At a press conference on Sunday, Governor Gavin Newsom stated that hazardous materials teams were removing charred material from beneath Interstate 10 to make room for engineers who would make sure the highway’s columns and deck can hold the 300,000 vehicles that usually use that route every day.
It was advised that commuters work from home or use public transit to go to downtown Los Angeles. Repercussions are also expected for surface streets and other major highways, such as State Route 60 and Interstate 5, from the mile-long I-10 shutdown between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue.
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley stated that around 12:20 AM on Saturday, flames tore through two storage lots in an industrial region beneath the highway, destroying parked automobiles, wooden pallet stacks, and support poles for high-tension electricity lines. There were no reported injuries.
The fire, which lasted for three hours and covered an area of 8 acres (3 hectares), or about six football fields, attracted more than 160 firemen from more than two dozen organizations. The guardrails along the deck are twisted and burned, while the columns supporting the highway are scorched and broken.
On Saturday afternoon, Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency and gave the state Department of Transportation instructions to approach the federal government for help. According to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, at least 16 homeless persons who were living beneath the roadway were removed and placed in shelters. According to officials, there was no instant evidence that the camp was the source of the fire.
