Over the weekend a major fire broke out under the I-10 Freeway near Downtown Los Angeles causing severe damage to the freeway.
According to local news, the fire was first reported early Saturday, November 11, 2023, around midnight near East 14th and Alameda underneath the freeway. It then quickly spread to both sides of the streets underneath the 10, causing the freeway steel guardrails to melt and damage to support columns.
On the morning of Monday, November 13, 2023, a citywide alert was sent across local cell phones warning that the freeway “will be closed indefinitely.” Both directions of the 10 Freeway now remain closed near DTLA.
❗Update: As of November 14, 2033 — LA City Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom have stated that the I-10 Freeway will open in weeks to come. Scroll down for more information
“This is a whole of government response as we work effectively and efficiently to safely reopen this critical transit corridor for Angelenos as quickly as possible,” said Governor Newsom in a statement. “I want to thank the first responders, emergency personnel, and local and state officials who are working around the clock. And I want to assure all Angelenos that the necessary resources to repair this damage have been made available to minimize the impact.”
You can stay up to date on this closure by visiting the Emergency Management Department website.
🛑I-10 Closures Until Further Notice:
- Northbound 5 Freeway to Westbound 10 Freeway
- Southbound 5 Freeway to Westbound 10 Freeway
- Westbound 60 Freeway to Westbound 10 Freeway
- Westbound 10 Freeway on-ramp at Soto Street
- Eastbound 10 Freeway on-ramp at Alameda Street
- Westbound 10 Freeway on-ramp at Santa Fe Avenue
Detour routes have been established. It is highly recommended to leave early and plan for delays. Detour information and updates can be found at emergency.lacity.gov/updates
🚆Use Metro & Public Transit To Avoid The I-10 Closure:
- E Line train offers east-west travel fwy between East LA & Santa Monica
- J Line bus runs between El Monte, DTLA & San Pedro DTLA
- Other bus lines that can be used to get around the closure are Line 78 (Huntington), Line 18 (6th St), Line 66 (Olympic), Line 30 (Pico), and Line 33 (Venice)
- Foothill Transit’s Silver Streak runs between Claremont, Union Station, and DTLA
See full routes at Metro.net or call (323) Go-Metro
❓When Can We Expect The I-10 To Reopen?
LA City Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom have stated that the I-10 Freeway will open in weeks to come.
“Based on preliminary sample results, we expect the I-10 Freeway to be reopened to traffic in weeks as opposed to months,” stated L.A. Mayor Bass in an X/Tweet. “Crews are working urgently day and night to get this done. When there’s a crisis, Los Angeles does not cower, we lead.”
Structural engineers have been investigating the structure, assessing damages, and developing a repair plan to ensure I-10 is able to safely reopen as quickly as possible. After testing samples and assessing the major damage from the site, officials currently believe the damage can be repaired without demolition.
“Thanks to the fast work of our first responders, workers, and engineers, we now expect to be able to reopen the 10 Freeway to traffic in three to five weeks,” said Governor Newsom in a statement. “California will continue working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get the job done and get Los Angeles moving again.”