Vincent Thomas Bridge detour route floods Friday morning from rain and high tide

A Wilmington detour route for the Vincent Thomas Bridge closure, Harry Bridges Boulevard, was flooded early Friday morning due to the high tide and rain.

The road was closed, and video taken shows cars and trucks stuck in the water.

Harry Bridges Boulevard is an official Caltrans detour route for the 16-month Vincent Thomas Bridge closure while various repairs and upgrades are underway.

One woman who got stuck in the flooded roadway this morning told CBS LA that she wasn't familiar with it but took it as a detour route. At one point, as many as eight vehicles were trapped; some had to be towed.

People who work in the area said the road is known to flood, usually one or two inches, because of high tides.

"This area is prone to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall and high tides. Los Angeles Sanitation crews are actively pumping water from the roadway, although high tide is affecting drainage efforts," Caltrans wrote in a statement.

Harry Bridges Boulevard and Alameda Street are closed between Quay Avenue and East E Street, and traffic is being detoured.

Caltrans said it is coordinating with the city and county of Los Angeles for an immediate response and longer-term solutions to address flooding in the area. There is currently no estimated time for reopening. 

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn posted to X that the problem will only get worse with more rain expected this week.

"City and County crews are working to pump out the water, but we cannot keep sending commuters through a route that is flooding. I am asking Caltrans to identify an alternate detour that avoids Harry Bridges and Alameda until we can find a long-term solution," Hahn wrote on X.