Collapsed I-10 Bridge to Reopen Friday

Interstate 10, which has been closed in the Desert Center area since a bridge collapsed amid heavy weekend rains, will reopen with one lane in each direction on Friday, Caltrans officials announced today.

A 30-foot section of the bridge collapsed Sunday afternoon, cutting off the primary route for motorists traveling between California and Arizona. The 10 freeway was close between State Route 86 and the Arizona state line.
According to Caltrans, Granite Construction Inc. will strengthen the westbound side of the bridge to allow two-way traffic beginning Friday. Crews will then focus on the eastbound side of the road.

Repairs are also being made on two other bridges -- Adair Ditch Bridge and Hillock Ditch Bridge -- that were found to be in need of upgrades. Those repairs will be completed today, according to Caltrans.

Granite Construction Inc. was awarded the emergency contract on Monday to fix the collapsed bridge, which failed Sunday afternoon, trapping a truck driver, after heavy rains caused flooding in the area.

Firefighters responded to the scene at 4:43 p.m. Sunday, and began a cut- and-rescue operation on the eastbound side of the freeway near the Tex Wash, about a half-mile east of Eagle Mountain, according to Jennifer Fuhrman of the Riverside County Fire Department.

Previous:

• Contractor Hired to Fix Collapsed I-10 Bridge
• Local Tourism Holding Up Despite I-10 Closure
• Official: Freeway Bridge Failure Surprising
• Bridge Collapsed in Desert Center, Trapping Truck Beneath
• Severe Thunderstorm Floods Parts of Riverside
• I-10 Closes Indefinitely at Desert Center After Flood Washed Out Bridge
• Supervisors to Proclaim County Emergency Due to I-10 Closure

The location is about 50 miles west of Blythe and the Arizona border. The truck driver, who sustained moderate injuries, was freed about 6:50 p.m. and taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, according to
the CHP. A passenger had earlier made it out of the vehicle.

Until the repairs are completed, motorists were advised to avoid I-10 travel and use detour routes such as Arizona Route 95 to Interstate 40 or Interstate 8 to State Route 111 to Route 86 to get around the closure. Another option is State Route 177 to State Route 62, then back onto Interstate 10.

By City News Service

Photo courtesy of CalFire Riverside