UPDATE: Freeway Damaged By Tanker Fire Will Open Sometime Friday

MONTEBELLO, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say a 10-mile stretch of Southern California freeway that was closed by a gasoline tanker fire will reopen sometime Friday.

Heavy tractors moved in Thursday to begin demolishing the eastern lanes of an overpass that was badly damaged by Wednesday's tanker fire on State Highway 60 in Montebello. Inspectors will decide whether the west side of the bridge must also come down.

California Department of Transportation spokesman Kelly Markham says that in either case, the highway east of Los Angeles will reopen Friday afternoon in time for the evening commute.

The closure jammed alternate freeway routes heading into Los Angeles on Thursday, with some drivers reporting delays of an hour or more during their morning commute.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.