The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the blaze at approximately 1:45 am with crews from 26 stations rushing to the scene. The fire, covering 8 acres, occurred directly underneath the freeway near Alameda Street.
(Caltrans photo)
Construction crews mobilized quickly in response to a section of the I-10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles that suffered a massive blaze on Nov. 11 beneath an elevated section of the roadway at a 40,000-sq.-ft. storage yard for wooden pallets and other goods.
Caltrans secured an emergency contract with Security Paving Company Inc. and the Griffith Company to test and clear hazardous materials, handle freeway and ramp closures and conduct restoration of the structure. Due to the diligent work from the general contractors, I-10 was able to completely reopen to traffic on the night of Nov. 19.
The reopening occurred weeks earlier than the original estimate for repairs. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced "that the section would be fully open before the start of the workweek and the Thanksgiving holiday — sooner than the earlier estimate of a three-to five-week full closure of I-10," according to a press release.
"What began as months has turned into days — before Angelenos hit the road, we're opening the 10 back up," said Newsom. "Thanks to the tireless work of Caltrans and union construction crews and with help from our partners — from the Mayor's office to the White House — the 10's expedited repair is proof and a point of pride that here in California, we deliver."
"The work that happened here is extraordinary," said Vice President Kamala Harris. "It was possible with the will and ambition of the workers on the ground and their commitment as public servants and as union members to get this done and deliver for the people of Los Angeles. This is the kind of work that is happening around the country — where hard-working men and women, carpenters, laborers and government workers, are rebuilding America's infrastructure. Thank you to those workers for your commitment to the country."
Crews worked to shore up the damaged section of the freeway (Security) and remove the debris including all hazardous material (Griffith).
The westbound I-10 Alameda Street off-ramp reopened to traffic on the morning of Nov. 22 while repair work continues.
"The repairs will be constructed in the coming months," said Michael Comeaux, a Caltrans District 7 public information officer who provided CEG with an update on the situation. "Virtually all the work that was done so far consisted of removal of debris after the fire, including all hazardous material, and shoring up seven rows of concrete columns ["bents"]. At the same time, some pavement repairs, guard rail repairs, repairs to lighting systems and other elements were done before I-10 reopened. However all of the repairs to the columns and virtually all of the repairs to the deck will be done in the future over a period of several months. Security Paving will do this work. Engineers are developing a comprehensive plan for these repairs. It is too soon to establish a total cost estimate for this repair work."
The shoring and debris removal work proceeded non-stop and six newly installed video cameras are providing live coverage of construction operations 24/7 at fixthe10.ca.gov
A Caltrans construction update illustrated the frenetic pace of the work. The update pointed out that "installation of the shoring was accomplished by more than 250 people working at the job site on 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, [with] final adjustments of shoring have been completed; Caltrans safety inspection, a critical step before reopening, is completed.; [and that] security is providing around-the-clock coverage at the job site to minimize the economic impact on nearby businesses so they, their employees, customers, and suppliers can safely continue their activities."
Crews also are repairing damaged electrical systems, lane striping and signs and moving k-rail temporary concrete barriers on I-10
"Our great thanks go to the contractors and their workers who have been working so hard and around the clock and the Caltrans teams for their tireless energy and dedication to public service," said Caltrans District 7 Director Gloria Roberts. "Thanks to the city of Los Angeles and all Angelenos for their patience at this time."
Traffic-wise, Caltrans said that some lanes on I-10 will be closed at times, chiefly at night, for remaining work, and that some ramps in the vicinity may be closed while Caltrans and other agencies, including the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, address traffic flow affecting city streets.
Efforts to repair the damaged section of I-10 are relentless. A construction update noted that: "Ongoing tests are revealing that the fire caused less structural damage than anticipated. As a result, only seven rows of pillars under the elevated freeway are being shored up — only half of the 14 Caltrans had originally predicted."
The repairs are dealing with various elements. For example, to shore up the pillars, crews are using various materials, including more than 100 tons of large steel beams and enough 12-by-12-in. heavy wooden posts to stretch over 1 mi. if placed end to end..
Equipment-wise, three dozen hydraulic jacks, each able to lift 100 tons, are being used to place the beams and posts.
"With fewer rows of shoring taking up space under the bridge, crews have more working room and can more rapidly place each line of shoring, allowing the contractor to double the number of workers operating the jacks and placing posts and beams," stated a Nov. 17 press release.
"Caltrans continues carrying out maintenance on the traffic-free roadway, including sweeping, litter removal, painting over graffiti, repairing railings and broken concrete, and cleaning drains and culverts."
It was on Nov. 16 that Caltrans issued its first construction update, which stressed the seriousness and speed of the repair work.
The update pointed out that Caltrans emergency contractors had cleared all hazardous materials from the repair site ahead of schedule and Caltrans now has full site access to shore up support pillars and expedite repairs.
"Working 24 hours a day, crews safely removed approximately 264,000 cubic feet of hazardous material and debris — enough to roughly fill four Olympic-sized pools," said Comeaux. "More than two dozen burned vehicles were removed."
Contractors also had placed temporary shoring, next to damaged concrete pillars under the elevated freeway, and that critical materials for the repairs had been delivered to the work site.
Emergency Background
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the blaze at approximately 1:45 a.m. with crews (more than 165 firefighters) from 26 stations rushing to the scene. The fire, covering 8 acres, occurred directly underneath the freeway near Alameda Street.
CBS News in Los Angeles reported: "That radiant heat from the first fire caused flames to spread to a second nearby pallet yard of similar size between Lawrence and Elwood streets according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. While a fire engine and several cars were burned, crews were able to protect three commercial buildings from burning. There were no reported injuries. As of 6:30 a.m., LAFD and Caltrans were at the scene, dousing hot spots, cleaning up, and assessing the integrity of the charred roadway, as there is broken concrete, melted steel, and guardrails."
California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin told CBS that "Our maintenance and structural folks are doing work, getting core samples of the structure to see what full condition the bridge is in and the columns."
Inspections suggest that close to 100 columns supporting the freeway were burned. Officials collected data to determine whether the deck — five lanes in each direction, for a total of 10 lanes wide — would have to be replaced.
In response to the fire, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a local State of Emergency to secure funding and resources to enable rapid repairs.
Omishakin, according to CBS News, stated the day after the fire that "This challenge on the I-10 is the number one priority for the governor. He's asked for a 24-7 operation from all state agencies involved in any kind of way, from CalFire to Caltrans to CHP (California Highway Patrol), it's an all-hands-on-deck approach."
"The damage," Comeaux explained, "included concrete broken off of portions of the deck and broken away from numerous columns that support the bridge deck, both of which left visible rebar (steel reinforcing rods); [and] to guard rails the soffit [underside of the deck], and other damage."
Caltrans responded to the scene immediately after the blaze was reported.
"Since then, Caltrans structural engineers and other professionals in Caltrans have collected and tested samples of concrete and rebar to determine the extent of the damage," said Comeaux. "Meanwhile, teams of experts have been planning options for repair and/or reconstruction of portions of the freeway, depending on the extent and nature of the damage.
"Alternate routes were immediately publicized to the community and travelers," he added. "Repairs have started, as crews are placing shoring under the elevated freeway deck."
Comeaux stressed that highway infrastructure is built to federal and state specifications, and he praised the efforts of Caltrans personnel who followed the DOT's plans to deal with emergencies.
"Caltrans workers and engineers have been working tirelessly, 24/7 to address the impacts the fire had on the structure and on commuters," he said. CEG
Irwin Rapoport
A journalist who started his career at a weekly community newspaper, Irwin Rapoport has written about construction and architecture for more than 15 years, as well as a variety of other subjects, such as recycling, environmental issues, business supply chains, property development, pulp and paper, agriculture, solar power and energy, and education. Getting the story right and illustrating the hard work and professionalism that goes into completing road, bridge, and building projects is important to him. A key element of his construction articles is to provide readers with an opportunity to see how general contractors and departments of transportation complete their projects and address challenges so that lessons learned can be shared with a wider audience.
Rapoport has a BA in History and a Minor in Political Science from Concordia University. His hobbies include hiking, birding, cycling, reading, going to concerts and plays, hanging out with friends and family, and architecture. He is keen to one day write an MA thesis on military and economic planning by the Great Powers prior to the start of the First World War.
Read more from Irwin Rapoport here.
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