Completing the Pass

Construction crews are working around the clock to repair a 75-foot-high Golden State Freeway overpass in Santa Clarita that was badly damaged in the Jan. 17 earthquake. The quake knocked large chunks of concrete out of the 800-foot span, which is now supported by steel I-beams. Last week, workers installed hollow pipe that will house steel cable supports to help reinforce the roadbed in the new overpass. The northbound side of the freeway is expected to be completed before the southbound, and Caltrans officials hope to complete all repairs by mid-June. Three crews are working eight-hour shifts daily, seven days a week, to complete the project. Since the earthquake, commuters have used The Old Road, a secondary route through the canyons of Santa Clarita, and a truck route along the Golden State Freeway to navigate around the construction work in Gavin Canyon.