A 50-mile stretch of the main highway connecting California and Arizona reopened at noon Friday after repairs due to flood damage.
The 10 Freeway bridge east of the Riverside County community of Coachella partially reopened to traffic, according to the California Department of Transportation. Part of the bridge collapsed in flash floods during a major storm July 19 that damaged several other bridges in the area.
The reopening is welcome news for travelers and truckers, but traffic bottlenecks will remain. The California Department of Transportation said delays as long as half an hour can be expected at peak travel times, including Friday evenings and late Sunday afternoons.
Crews worked on the westbound side of the bridge, allowing two-way traffic to use one lane in each direction over the small desert gully. Once the section of freeway is reopened, workers will start repairs on the eastbound side of the bridge.
Two other bridges in the area required minor repairs, Caltrans said.
The closure forced about 54,000 daily driver, many making the trip between California and Arizona, to take a detour of several hours.
The bridge that washed out was built in 1967 and easily passed a March safety inspection. It had been "armored" with boulders lining the gully that runs under the span. The gully is normally dry but can flood during the sudden and intense rainstorms that happen in the desert.
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Caltrans said the span would have withstood the flooding if the water had barreled down the middle of the natural channel, but its path shifted. That concentrated the water's full force on the western bank, leading to the collapse.
One person was hospitalized with broken ribs, a shattered knee and lacerations to his liver in a crash on the damaged section of bridge.
