The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Signs on Huntington Dr. in San Dimas warn of the 210 Freeway project at the San Gabriel River on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway at the San Gabriel River on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway at the San Gabriel River on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Caltrans reopened the 210 Freeway at 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26, 2022, between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 Freeway after completing the first phase of work on the bridge over the San Gabriel River. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Caltrans reopened the 210 Freeway at 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26, 2022, between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 Freeway after completing the first phase of work on the bridge over the San Gabriel River. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway reopened in the east San Gabriel Valley at 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26, 2022, after a five-day closure for bridge repair. (Photo by Dean Musgrove/Southern California News Group)
The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway on ramp from Irwindale Ave. is closed during the construction project. The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Viewed from the Irwindale Ave. overpass looking east, traffic is backed up from Azusa Ave. The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
FILE – The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
FILE – The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is on its final day of shutdown. A complete, 7-hour closure of the freeway begins 10 p.m. Monday, July 25 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26 when the whole freeway reopens. The closures allowed for work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The 210 Freeway between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 interchange, where all westbound lanes were closed on Thursday, July 21, 2022, for the first of five continuous days, from 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 through 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 26. The 1.3-mile section of the freeway is shut down for 126 straight hours to allow work crews to rebuild the westbound-lanes portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Huntington Dr. in the city of Duarte on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Starting at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17, the 1.3-mile freeway section between Duarte and Irwindale will be completely closed until the next morning. From Thursday morning until about 5 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, the closure will continue but motorists will have access to reduced travel lanes.
Caltrans temporarily will divert traffic from the eastbound 210 over to three lanes of the westbound 210. The westbound 210 in that section will be converted to three lanes. In short, the capacity of the 210 Freeway in the construction zone will be 50% in both directions during the closure.
This time, the delays may be more pronounced in the weekday afternoon during peak hours through Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte and Irwindale as eastbound drivers reach the closure and detour from six lanes into three lanes.
Eric Menjivar, Caltrans spokesman, said there will be extended queues of cars and trucks on both sides of the freeway closure. “We expect people to hit some congestion but during off-peak hours it should be OK.”
Caltrans advises motorists during heavy commute times and possibly during busy weekend hours to expect major delays.
“Mornings will likely be heavily congested traveling in westbound directions. And afternoon traffic will be heavily congested in the eastbound direction, when people will be traveling back home (from work),” he said.
Construction work is being done on the eastbound portion of the San Gabriel River Bridge, which whisks vehicles over the river as it emerges from the San Gabriel Mountains. Though the bridge is safe to drive over, it is old, about 50 years old, explained Caltrans officials, and due for a major upgrade.
Workers will replace hinges on the eastbound side that hold the bridge in place but allow for movement, while adding new steel rebar and stronger rapid set concrete on deck portions. Plus, the bridge will have taller railings and the freeway will get a higher concrete median.
If possible, the transportation agency is advising motorists to avoid the 210 during those five days of bridge re-construction, lane resurfacing and re-striping. Instead, take other east-west freeways, such as the 10 or 60 as alternate routes.
Or Caltrans suggests using public transportation, such as the Metro L Line (formerly Gold Line) or Metrolink commuter rail. Or better still, work from home.
The northbound 605 Freeway traffic also will be impacted near the terminus, Menjivar said. Travelers driving north on the 605 through Irwindale and Baldwin Park will not be able to connect to the eastbound 210, routinely a bottlenecked interchange. That connector will be closed during the construction, he said.
The major construction also will close: the westbound 210 Irwindale Avenue on-ramps; westbound 210 to southbound 605 connector; eastbound 210 Mt. Olive Drive on-ramps.
During the July closure, Duarte officials complained that large, 18-wheeler trucks got off the 605 and went west onto Huntington Drive. This time, Caltrans is trying to prevent trucks from pouring onto Huntington Drive by placing LED signs alerting drivers to exit at Lower Azusa Road or Live Oak Road.
Trucks over seven tons are prohibited on Huntington Drive in Duarte and will be subject to traffic fines, Caltrans said.
“I hope it is going to be better (than last time),” said Duarte City Council member Sam Kang on Thursday. “My staff has been talking to Caltrans and working with the (LA County) Sheriff’s Department. They are more receptive.” The city’s website also alerts drivers to the upcoming closure.
During the westbound July closure, the CHP cited four trucks for illegally driving on Huntington Drive, he said. But the CHP said they don’t want to pull over trucks during high traffic volume because that adds to congestion, he said.
Kang said last time trucks were traveling north on Mt. Olive Drive into the hillside neighborhoods. “They thought there would be some secret bypass to the Antelope Valley. It was amazing,” he said.
Arcadia Councilman Sho Tay said there’s not much his city can do but wait it out. He said the repairs to the freeway are necessary and will be worth the inconvenience.
“We don’t have a choice. I want drivers not to get frustrated because road rage happens when people are frustrated. I’d rather people stay safe,” he said.
