Roadwork is going to cause a major roadblock for drivers, starting next week on the 210 Freeway.
A stretch of the westbound side of that road will be shut down for five days, starting Wednesday, July 20 at 11 p.m., for a Caltrans project.
Both directions of the 210 Freeway will remain open through the construction, but it will go from 10 lanes to 6 lanes -- squeezing traffic for 5 days.
From 11 p.m. Wednesday to 4 p.m. the following Tuesday on July 26, westbound lanes will be closed between Irwindale Avenue and the 605 Freeway.
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Traffic will be rerouted on the eastbound side of the road. That means while the westbound side is closed, all the traffic will travel on the eastbound side of the 210, with the road reconfigured to temporarily handle three lanes of traffic in each direction.
The closure is part of a $30 million project to upgrade the San Gabriel River Bridge, by installing improved bridge hinges and railings and strengthening the bridge decks.
Caltrans warns drivers to expect delays and consider alternative routes. They recommend the 10 Freeway or the 60 Freeway through the closure, or use public transportation like Goldline or Metrolink.
But even with those other options, drivers aren't looking forward to the traffic snarl the project is sure to create.
The ones that knew about the project were mentally preparing for the temporary change.
"It'll be bunched up by the time I get here," said Gary VanBogart. "But I'll just have to leave a little early, that's all."
"I think it's going to be a really kind of busy transition, kind of hard for people to figure out the alternate roads" when they go to work and come back, said Eli Wang.
But other drivers were surprised.
There will be other closures in the future during Phase 2 of the project, which will take place in August and close the eastbound lanes of the 210.
