Driving to the San Fernando Valley or the westside through Pasadena should be a lot easier by Monday morning as Caltrans worked Sunday on repairs that shut down the westbound side of the Foothill (210) Freeway for the weekend.
The westbound freeway was closed at 10 p.m. Friday between Lake Avenue and Mountain Street and is scheduled to open Monday at 5 a.m. as the workweek’s first rush hour gets underway. While that’s the scheduled time for “extensive repairs” to be completed this weekend, Caltrans often is able to finish work earlier than initial estimates.
Don’t get too relaxed when this stretch of freeway is opened Monday. Caltrans needs to close the roadway again the weekend of July 29-Aug. 1.
According to Caltrans, the freeway’s use as a major connector between Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties means the “road has experienced extensive wear.”
“The closures are part of a $148.5 million pavement rehabilitation project in both directions of I-210 in the cities of Glendale, La Canada Flintridge and Pasadena,” according to Caltrans.
“Once the project is completed in 2018 the new surface will provide a smoother, safer drive for motorists, reduce time required for maintenance and minimize the need for further lane closures.”
During the weekend’s closure, the eastbound ramp from the Ventura (134) Freeway to the westbound Foothill Freeway also was shut, along with the westbound Foothill Freeway off-ramps at Marengo Avenue and Mountain Street, and the Walnut Street on-ramp.
This weekend’s planned closure started just hours after a fatal five-vehicle crash on the other side of the freeway at Sierra Madre shut down all eastbound lanes for hours during the Friday evening rush.
— Staff and wire reports