210 Freeway reopens after five-day closure, but another is on the way

Work crews with the California Department of Transportation working on a renovation project on the 210 Freeway.

By Jonah ValdezStaff Writer

July 26, 2022 12:22 PM PT

The 210 Freeway in the San Gabriel Valley reopened early Tuesday morning after transportation officials cut the freeway in half over the past five days in Irwindale for bridge renovations.

Starting late last week, motorists endured traffic logjams as repair crews shut down westbound lanes of the 210 from Irwindale Avenue to the 605 Freeway, about a six-mile stretch.

The state’s Department of Transportation is in the middle of a $30-million project to replace older hinges, railings and storm drains on the portion of the freeway that hangs over the San Gabriel River as a bridge, Caltrans said.

The old hinges, which work to hold sections of the 210 bridge together, are at least 50 years old, dating back to the freeway’s construction, said Eric Menjivar, a spokesperson with Caltrans.

Over the past five days, work crews installed new hinges, which are a foot taller and 90 feet long and were designed to provide more flexibility to the bridge for resilience against earthquakes and pressure from everyday vehicle traffic, Menjivar said.

Other updates include raising the height of the bridge railings as well as the center median, which is intended to improve visibility for drivers at night, Menjivar said. A higher median will block headlights from oncoming vehicles on the opposite side of the freeway.

Caltrans is undergoing similar median-raising projects in other portions of the 210, near the 5 Freeway, and along Highway 101, from Hollywood to Calabasas.

A second closure will take place Aug. 17-23 along the same stretch of the eastbound 210 to finish updates on the second half of the bridge, Caltrans said.

Closures are subject to change and residents should check the Caltrans Quick Map for the most recent information.