Traffic halted between Phoenix and Los Angeles
PHOENIX – Damage to Interstate 10 could make travel between Phoenix and Los Angeles precarious until the road is repaired, officials warned Thursday, just before the weekend Busy Labor Day in the latest monsoon rainstorm hit the area this summer.
The latest flooding began Wednesday night, damaging a road that is part of a detour through a repair project along Interstate 10 east near the small community of Central Desert. , California, about 165 million from Los Angeles. But the road was reopened with some delays on Thursday, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Nearly 30,000 people travel on the highway every day. Traffic in both directions was initially halted, but the westbound lanes for motorists traveling from Arizona to California reopened later.
Here’s what we know about damaged highways right now:
Tens of thousands of people travel on highways every day
That stretch, between Highway 177 and the California-Arizona border, was under heavy construction, and before the storm, drivers were moved to a bypass to get to work. The storm washed away that bypass for eastbound traffic heading for Arizona.
Nearly 30,000 people travel on the highway every day.
The area received about three-quarters of an inch of rain Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. But the main road, which has a usable eastbound lane, was reopened on Thursday morning, according to Caltrans.
According to online monitoring Sigalert, traffic passed through the area at 35 to 45 mph just before noon on Thursday.
Officials do not have an estimate of how long it will take to rebuild the eastbound lanes, which means travelers traveling from California to Arizona could see delays continue.
The washing recalls a similar flash floods in 2015 removed the eastbound lanes of the Tex Wash Bridge on I-10 west of Blythe, stranding hundreds of drivers and forcing week-long detours.
When that happens, Caltrans must pave the median so that eastbound traffic can use one lane of the westbound lane to cross the bridge, then cross the median again to turn. east lane. That also restricts westbound traffic to one lane until the bridge is finally repaired.
Detours can add time to travel
Caltrans did not immediately respond to questions about how long road repairs might take, or whether additional storms could further damage I-10. But a Highway Patrol officer told Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network, that there is no estimate on how long the repair will take.
“I know it was a long time ago the last time this happened,” California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Mallett said.
The National Weather Service said more flooding is possible through Thursday across a large swath of Southern California’s mountain ranges and deserts.
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Flash floods earlier this summer severely damaged roads in Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Reserve and to the south of Joshua Tree National Park.
Officials call the August 5 flood in Death Valley historic. Hundreds of visitors were initially stranded by floodwaters and roads covered in debris. It took about two weeks for the park to reopen to its most popular areas.
Contributors: Ani Gasparyan, Palm Springs Desert Sun; Related press
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