IRWINDALE, Calif. (CNS) — A five-day closure of the westbound Foothill (210) Freeway in Irwindale ended as planned Tuesday, following an overnight closure of the entire freeway that allowed crews to reconfigure the roadway lanes back to normal.
Beginning last Wednesday night, the westbound side of the freeway was closed between Irwindale Avenue and the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway to accommodate upgrades being made on the San Gabriel River Bridge. During the closure, all westbound traffic was diverted onto the freeway’s eastbound side, which was reconfigured to handle three lanes of traffic in each direction.
The result was long delays for thousands of motorists who still tried to travel the roadway, despite warnings for people to seek out alternate routes or avail themselves of public transportation.
The full roadway reopened at 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to Caltrans.
According to the agency, the closure was part of a $30 million project to upgrade the San Gabriel River Bridge by installing improved bridge hinges and railings and strengthening bridge decks.
In addition to closing the westbound side of the freeway, ramps from the westbound 210 to Irwindale Avenue and to the southbound 605 Freeway were also been closed during the work. Ramps from the 605 Freeway to the eastbound 210 Freeway were blocked as well.
A second five-day closure on the eastbound side of the freeway is being planned for Aug. 17-23.