Two lanes of the 5 Freeway close as crews assess wildfire damage
Northbound traffic will be slowed for about three miles near Castaic, officials say.
Two lanes of the northbound 5 Freeway near Castaic will remain closed through Tuesday, as Caltrans engineers assess damage to retaining walls caused by the Route fire.
The two lanes extend for about three miles north of the State Route 126 juncture near Parker Road up to about Vista Del Lago Road, officials said. All southbound lanes are open.
The Route fire, which was first reported Wednesday, has burned more than 5,200 acres, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It was 87% contained as of late Saturday night.
The California Department of Transportation is advising drivers to take the 101 Freeway or State Route 14 as an alternative over Labor Day weekend.
Wooden lagging used in steel barriers for the freeway’s retaining wall was burned by the fire, according to Caltrans spokesperson Lauren Wonder. Parts of the wall were still smoking Saturday.
Wonder said the steel “looks OK,” but compacted dirt directly below and behind the barrier had been destabilized and was beginning to slough off the banks.
Engineers were scheduled to arrive Monday to examine the damage and test the structural soundness of the wall, she said.
“We want to put truck traffic on the freeway, and we don’t want a scenario where the corner of the road could slip off,” she added.
Wonder said the timeline of the closure would depend on the extent of the damage, and the long-term forecast for a full freeway opening is “to be determined.”
Caltrans will also replace damaged and destroyed guard rails and signposts and will clear dirt that had seeped into nearby storage drains.
Emergency contractors have closed portions of the freeway since the fire began Wednesday.