10 Freeway Reopening In 3-5 Weeks, Demolition Not Needed: Newsom

LOS ANGELES, CA — Testing of the fire-damaged stretch of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles revealed better-than-expected structural integrity, and the freeway won't have to be torn down and rebuilt, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday. The freeway should reopen in 3 to 5 weeks, he added.

"I do not want to see that five-week mark hit," Newsom said Tuesday. "I want to see something much faster."

Crews will work round the clock to continue repairing the freeway deck and approximately 100 support columns that were impacted by Saturday morning's fire that broke out in a pallet yard underneath the roadway. The fire, which is being investigated as arson, forced the closure of a busy stretch of the interstate that handles more than 300,000 vehicles per day.

Officials said the five-week timeline is good news: If demolition was necessary, the freeway could have been shuttered for as long as six months. But Mayor Karen Bass warned even the shorter closure will strain the city with a massive economic impact.

She urged commuters to take public transportation, work from home and avoid driving when possible.

The city is temporarily eliminating fares of DASH and Commuter Express bus lines, while Metrolink has expanded service on its San Bernardino Line.

Downtown surface streets did see a 14.7 percent increase in traffic volume throughout the day Monday, the first weekday of the freeway's closure. Rain forecasted for Wednesday is likely to make traffic problems worse, officials said.

The freeway remains closed roughly between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue, affecting connectors to the Golden State (5), Hollywood (101) and Pomona (60) freeways.

State officials established a website at fixthe10.ca.gov to provide the latest information on the repair process.

City News Service contributed to this report.