10 Freeway Will Reopen Early, Ahead Of Monday Commute

LOS ANGELES — Interstate 10 will reopen early, in time for the Monday morning commute, authorities announced Sunday, after the freeway was forced to shut down following a massive storage yard fire in downtown Los Angeles.

Previously expected to reopen Tuesday, the Santa Monica Freeway has been closed since the Nov. 11 blaze, an arson that occurred on state property. Some lanes will open as soon as Sunday evening, officials said.

“What began as months has turned into days — before Angelenos hit the road on Monday, we’re opening the 10 back up," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news release.

The Alameda ramp will not open Monday and Lawrence Street will remain closed between 10th and 14 streets, according to Newsom, who had previously estimated the freeway would reopen in three to five weeks while expressing hope that workers might beat that deadline.

In addition to Newsom, the announcement Sunday was made by Mayor Karen Bass, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and others, standing on the still-closed freeway.

The closed portion between Alameda Street and the East Los Angeles interchange typically carries about 300,000 vehicles per day. Since the fire, there have been more than 250 people working at the job site on 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles County following the blaze to facilitate cleanup and repair work and direct Caltrans to request assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, which the state secured.

“The 10 will be safe to drive on weeks ahead of schedule because of urgent action and collaboration at all levels of government,” Bass said in a news release.

“Right when this happened, I heard from our state and federal partners that they would let nothing stand in our way. The White House and the Governor’s Office not only lived up to that promise, they helped us exceed all expectations.”

Harris in a news release called the work "extraordinary."

As repairs continue in the coming months, drivers should expect some temporary closures on occasional weekends and overnight, along with intermittent lane closures.

Padilla said that although officials don't yet know the final price tag for the repairs, the entire cost will be covered by federal funds, "thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law that was passed and signed a couple of years ago." Padilla estimated that the cost would be in the $3 million range, and Newsom later said it was "in the low millions."

Additional traffic officers are in place this weekend to help motorists navigate the major events in the downtown area, attempting to alleviate congestion Sunday for the Los Angeles Rams at So-Fi Stadium, Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena and L.A. Auto Show at the L.A. Convention Center. Bass directed the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation to make Commuter Express and DASH buses free to encourage commuters to use public transportation.

Authorities released photos on Saturday of the man suspected of setting the fire. He was seen and captured on security footage leaving the area around the same time the blaze started shortly after midnight.

The fire was reported at 12:22 a.m. in the 1700 block of East 14th Street, two blocks west of Alameda Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters from 26 companies worked feverishly to contain and extinguish the major emergency fire, which started in one downtown pallet yard, spread to another and consumed a fire engine that became stuck in its path, according to the department. By 2:33 a.m., pallets in both yards were mostly consumed by the flames and firefighters were using bulldozers to move debris and put out hot spots.

The company that leases the property where the fire occurred, Calabasas-based Apex Development, is being sued by the state for failure to pay rent and violating the terms of its lease, in part by subleasing the property to other businesses and by allowing flammable materials to be stored on the land. That lawsuit was filed long before the fire erupted.

Newsom said at Sunday's news conference that the state had taken over four of Apex's five leases, with only one remaining in Sun Valley. He added that a court hearing in the case is expected in January or early February.

Bass said she has asked all city general managers to report if their agencies have any active leases of property beneath the freeway.

City News Service contributed to this story.