10 Freeway closed in downtown L.A.: What you need to know to avoid the mess

A crucial stretch of the 10 Freeway remained closed through downtown L.A. after a major fire damaged the highway early Saturday.

Here is what we know:

Closures

• 10 Freeway between East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street.
• 10 Freeway westbound diverted at Alameda Street.
• 5 Freeway north and south transition to 10 Freeway westbound.
• 60 Freeway transition east and west to 10 Freeway westbound.
• Alameda Street closed in area.

Source: Caltrans

Traffic effects

Officials are urging drivers to avoid the area.

“Angelenos planning to attend major sporting events in or around Downtown Los Angeles, please plan for delays and check for alternative routes. Traffic officers are on location to alleviate traffic impacts. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the impacted area. Please heed traffic officer instructions,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

“I would encourage people to avoid this area between the East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street,” added Lauren Wonder, a Caltrans spokeswoman.

The big test will come Monday during the morning commute, if the freeway remains closed.

Metro provided details on some mass transit lines available during the closure:

• Line 78 (Huntington)
• Line 18 (6th St)
• Line 66 (Olympic)
• Line 30 (Pico)
• Line 33 (Venice)
• E Line train
• J Line bus

What’s next

The fire damaged the freeway pillars, but Caltrans is not sure how bad the situation is and how quickly repairs can be made.

“We see what we call ‘concrete spalling,’ which is chips of concrete that come off, but we won’t know the extent of the damage until the structural engineers can go in and see if the rebar was burned or not,” Wonder said. “This is still developing.”

Officials expect to provide an update Sunday afternoon.