Section of Freeway to Be Closed Saturday

All lanes of the Long Beach Freeway will be closed between the San Diego Freeway and the Del Amo Boulevard exit between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday while the Los Angeles County sheriff’s bomb squad removes highly explosive chemicals from a nearby self-storage facility. The connectors from the San Diego Freeway to the northbound Long Beach Freeway will also be closed.

The closures could extend to the same hours on Sunday if toxic experts are not able to complete their work, officials said. Owners of horses boarded at a nearby stable have also been notified to evacuate their animals.

The chemicals, possibly the remains of an illegal drug laboratory, were discovered at Store For Less on Carson Street more than two years ago but were never removed by Long Beach officials, who have been conducting a criminal investigation. The delay has caused some of the chemicals to crystallize, making them extremely volatile, officials said.