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Pair of mudflows spill onto 5 Freeway in Elysian Park; connector to 110 closed

A mudflow spilled onto the 5 Freeway
A mudflow spilled onto the 5 Freeway connector north of downtown Los Angeles in Elysian Park on Thursday.
(CalTrans)
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Two mudflows from a nearby hillside spilled chunks of debris and pushed fencing onto the 5 Freeway on Thursday morning in Elysian Park. The mudflows spurred road crews to close the interchange between the 5 and 110 freeways.

A small mudflow occurred adjacent to the interchange where the hillside had protective netting, according to CalTrans spokesperson Eric Menjivar. A second slide took place on the 5 just before the Figueroa Street offramp and the incline that connects the two freeways. There was no netting on that part of the hillside.

A mudflow spilled onto the 5 Freeway connector south of downtown Los Angeles in Elysian Park
A mudflow spilled onto the 5 Freeway connector south of downtown Los Angeles in Elysian Park on Thursday. CalTrans closed the impacted portion of the freeway for repairs.
(CalTrans)
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CalTrans will repair the area, Mejivar said. The connector is closed for an indefinite time, he added, as engineers assess the damage and determine a timeline for the repairs.

Aerial footage from KTLA showed the debris and collapsed fencing spilling over onto the freeway.

Motorists should plan for alternate routes when driving into downtown Los Angeles from the southbound lanes on the 5 Freeway.

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The mudflow arrived after Southern California was inundated with heavy rains in recent days. More rain is expected to arrive over the weekend, according to weather forecasts.

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