Caltrans Opens
New
Tex Wash Bridge Friday

State of California • Department of Transportation
Riverside,
Friday September 25th, Just in time for weekend travelers to or from
Arizona, Caltrans and its partners opened the new eastbound Interstate 10 Tex
Wash Bridge one week earlier than expected, just two months since the July rain
storm
washed away the original bridge. The vital thoroughfare near Desert Center in Riverside
County carries thousands of commuters and commercial vehicles daily.
A
severe July 19 rain storm washed out the preexisting eastbound span of Tex Wash
Bridge on I-10, closing the interstate in both directions between Coachella and
the Arizona State Line. The five-day closure had national repercussions--40
percent of the nation’s imports flow through Southern California ports to other
states, like Arizona. Of the I-10 Tex Wash Bridge’s average daily 24,000
vehicles, about 9,500 are trucks.
“Interstate 10 is a
major goods movement artery and a critical lifeline for residents in the
desert,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Caltrans has restored roads
severely affected by the harsh force of nature before, and we will do it again.
This is what we do best.”
Following
the flash floods from the severe rain storm, Caltrans immediately assessed the
other 58 bridges within 30 miles east and west of Desert Center, and found them
safe and Construction crews worked around the clock to demolish the washed out
bridge and build its replacement. Precast materials were transported from
Perris, California to accelerate the work schedule and crews worked through
Labor Day to expedite the emergency project.
The
new eastbound bridge opened early due to the partnership and commitment of the Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, Granite
Construction, multiple local agencies, elected officials, and the
patience of the motoring public.
The
newly built eastbound bridge is currently open to one lane of travel.
Construction crews are diligently working to re-strip the second lane, which
will open to traffic by the close of business today.
Motorists
can expect westbound I-10 to be restored to two lanes by tomorrow mid-afternoon
Friday, September 25th. Various traffic breaks are necessary to remove the
k-rail and re-stripe westbound I-10 between 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Traffic
breaks may last up to ten minutes in duration.
Please
be aware of the work and SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE!
For
information on other projects follow Caltrans District 8 on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/Caltrans8.
View traffic conditions at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov.