Los Angeles drivers were tested Nov. 13 during the first commute after a raging fire last weekend that closed a major elevated highway near downtown.
Many commuters appeared to have heeded the warnings. Helicopter views of TV news showed generally less traffic than normal on some highways around downtown, but area exits and streets became very busy at the height of the commute.
“Looking at the traffic data this morning, I’m somewhat pleased to say that congestion was a little lighter than normal,” said Rafael Molina, deputy district director for traffic distribution at the California Department of Transportation. “But please – if you don’t need to be in downtown Los Angeles – please avoid those trips.”
Cellphone calls early in the morning reminded residents to plan alternate commute routes and expect significant delays due to the fire’s impact on Interstate 10.
Hazardous materials crews were clearing burned material beneath the elevated highway to make way for engineers, who will ensure the highway’s columns and deck can support the 300,000 vehicles that typically travel that route every day, they said. officials at a morning news conference. Temporary support structures were also installed.
“Remember, this is an investigation into the root cause of how this occurred, as well as a matter of hazard and construction engineering,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a Nov. 12 news conference. “Can you open a few lanes? Can you retrofit the columns? Is the bridge deck intact so that a few lanes can remain open again?”
Mr. Newsom said answering these questions would be a “24-7 operation,” but officials could not yet provide a timeline for when the highway could reopen.
Commuters were urged to work from home or take public transportation into downtown Los Angeles. The mile-long I-10 closure between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue will have ripple effects on surface streets and other major highways, including State Route 60 and Interstate 5, the California Highway Patrol said.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation. About 12:20 a.m. on Nov. 11, flames were reported sweeping through two warehouses in an industrial area under the highway, igniting parked cars, stacks of wooden pallets and support poles for power lines, Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said. No injuries have been reported.
More than 160 firefighters from more than 20 companies responded to the blaze, which spread over 8 hectares – the equivalent of about six football fields – and burned for three hours. The highway’s columns are charred and broken, and the guard rails along the deck are twisted and blackened.
Mr. Newsom declared a state of emergency on Nov. 11 and directed the Department of Transportation to request help from the federal government. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she has also spoken with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about any additional resources that may be needed.
The governor said on Nov. 12 that the state has filed a lawsuit with the owner of the company that leases the storage space where the fire started. The lease has expired, Mr. Newsom said, and the company was in arrears on subletting the space. “This is a location that we were aware of, this is a tenant that we were aware of,” he said.
California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin said warehouses under highways are common across the state and country. He said the practice would be re-evaluated after the fire.
At least 16 homeless people living under the highway were evacuated and taken to shelters, Ms. Bass said. Officials said there was no immediate indication the fire started at the encampment.
The mayor said the longer-term impact of the fire could be reminiscent of the damage caused by the Northridge earthquake, which shut down highways in 1994.
“Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe this will be over in a few days,” she said.
LA residents have a history of responding well to advance warnings about traffic problems. Warnings of “Carmageddon” for a complete highway closure in 2011 resulted in a widespread reduction in traffic. A predicted ‘Jamzilla’ from 2014 turned out not to be monstrous, and during the 1984 Olympics, fears of massive traffic disruptions did not materialize.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.