OC Drivers Warned to Avoid Central L.A. After I-5 Tanker Fire

Orange County residents heading to central or northern California were warned to avoid central Los Angeles Sunday and for the immediate future, because a tanker fire has closed a major chunk of Interstate 5.

The closure of northbound Interstate 5, about eight miles north of the L.A. Civic Center, put a major crimp into traffic heading across the vast metropolis.

The northbound freeway has been since closed since midday Saturday, when a tanker loaded with 8,500 gallons of gasoline caught fire in a tunnel beneath a key section of the Golden State (5) Freeway not far from Dodger Stadium.

Structural examination of scorched cement and metal inside a freeway tunnel continued Sunday, as motorists were warned that the freeway would be closed for the indefinite future—possibly including Monday's rush hour.

The most-immediate freeway detour, the Hollywood (101) Freeway, has been jammed since the fire.

Traffic heading from Orange County north through Los Angeles can avoid the immediate congestion area by using the San Diego (405) Freeway through West Los Angeles. A second option is to use the Foothill (210) Freeway through Pasadena.

Those seeking to give L.A. an even wider berth can use Interstate 15, U.S. 395 and state Route 58 via Ontario, Cajon Pass and Tehachapi to reach Interstate 5 or Route 99 near Bakersfield.

The southbound 5 is open through Los Angeles, including the crash area, CHP officers said.   

-City News Service