An essential stretch of a Los Angeles freeway that was damaged by a fire caused by arson will not have to be demolished, but it will take three to five weeks to repair and reopen, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced.
“We will not need to demolish and replace the I-10,” Newsom said at a Tuesday press conference at the site of the fire, speaking alongside Mayor Karen Bass and construction crews.
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“One hundred columns have been damaged, and nine or 10 severely, but that shoring work will continue 24/7, and it will allow us to reopen for traffic, the I-10, in a matter of weeks,” Newsom said. “The estimate currently is three to five weeks. We’re gonna do everything in our power to move that into a more immediate future.”
The fire began early on Saturday morning under an elevated portion of a mile-long stretch of I-10 near downtown Los Angeles. Flames engulfed storage lots, burning through parked cars and other materials beneath the highway. Investigators determined arson was the cause, but state Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said they are still working to determine who caused the fire and have not named a suspect.
Samples were taken from the freeway columns and bridge deck and sent to a lab, which determined a teardown would not be necessary. Had a full demolition been needed, it would’ve closed the freeway for around five months, Newsom said.
It remains unclear when traffic will be permitted on the freeway again, as drivers are forced to use surface streets and alternative routes.
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“We will be giving regular reports on traffic at 6 in the morning every day. There will be a briefing, and we will keep you informed throughout the day,” Bass said.
The fire was started intentionally in an area under the I-10 that was being leased from the California Department of Transportation by Apex Development, a Calabasas company that had rented land there for over two decades. Newsom said California officials took legal action against the firm in September for not paying rent and unlawfully subleasing the area without state or federal approval. The state is reviewing all similar leases around the area to determine if the firm has violated any others.
