LOS ANGELES (AP) — An elevated Los Angeles freeway closed for more than a week because of an arson fire reopened ahead of Monday morning’s commute, at least a day earlier than previously announced and weeks ahead of the original estimate.
“Welcome back, Los Angeles!” Mayor Karen Bass posted late Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Nov. 11 blaze, fed by flammable materials stored under the roadway in violation of a company’s lease, shut a mile-long stretch of Interstate 10 near downtown, snarling traffic as repair crews worked around the clock. Officials had said last week that all lanes were expected to reopen by Tuesday, but moved it up to Monday after significant progress.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said recent safety inspections showed the span was safe to start reopening Sunday evening and that the freeway would be “fully operational” before Monday’s rush hour.
“It wasn’t just speed that we were after. We wanted to make sure this thing was safe,” Newsom said at a news conference, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and Bass.
Officials had initially said it could take about 250…
Read the full article here