210 Freeway reopens following five-day closure for construction on San Gabriel River Bridge hinge

Following a five-day closure, the second in the span of a month, the 210 Freeway is fully reopen to traffic with no scheduled closures in the near future. 

The closures were part of the scheduled reparations and upgrades to the San Gabriel River Bridge, which required the installation of improved bridge hinges and railings, as well as strengthening bridge decks.

From July 20 to July 26, Caltrans construction crews worked on the westbound lanes of the 210 Freeway, blocking through traffic from Irwindale Avenue to the 605 Freeway. Drivers traveling in that direction were instead diverted into eastbound lanes, as the traditionally six-lane highway was cut to three lanes heading in opposite directions. 

The construction's second phase, this time on the eastbound lanes, then began last Thursday, again splitting the opposite lanes in half for commuters. Drivers were advised to seek other routes like the 10 and 60 Freeways, and avoid utilizing surface streets due to heavy congestion.

In a final effort to complete the construction on time, crews completely closed the 210 Freeway in Irwindale to "stripe the highway to restore all lanes back to motorists," said Caltrans District 7 on Twitter.

Both instances caused major traffic delays and headaches for drivers throughout the Southland hoping to head to or through Irwindale on their daily commutes. 

The San Gabriel River Bridge Hinge Replacement project is partially funded by Senate Bill 1, with an estimated $1.7 million of the $30 million project coming from allocated funds.