Crews are working to upgrade the San Gabriel River Bridge, and the westbound 210 will have a new traffic pattern in the meantime. Jonathan Gonzales reports for Today in LA on Thursday, July 21, 2022.
Parts of the 210 Freeway in the east San Gabriel Valley will be reduced to three lanes in both directions, with construction squeezing traffic for five days.
A stretch of the westbound side of the 210 will be shut down from Wednesday, July 20, at 11 p.m., until next Tuesday, July 26, at 4 p.m.
That means, while the westbound side of the road is closed, all traffic will be traveling in the lanes on the eastbound side. Drivers will be able to travel in both directions, but with just three lanes for cars to go either way -- six lanes total -- traffic will be more congested.
The planned closure stretches from Irwindale Avenue to the 605 Freeway.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
It's 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.
"We're kind of pretending it's not happening at the moment," said Mark Durham, Duarte resident. "We're in denial."
He and his wife, Valerie Durham, live near the closure, and are waiting to see how it will affect traffic near their home.
"Well, it's quite a long time for that part to be shut down," she said. "And we panicked of course, and looked at it on the map."
"Like, I visit my chiropractor, that's the way I go," she continued. "The dentist, that's the way I go."
"It's very inconvenient, but we understand it has to be done. The bridge is falling apart," Mark said.
Traffic that doesn't crawl through the remaining lanes of the 210 is expected to spill onto nearby surface streets.
For some businesses along those streets, more cars means more opportunity.
Antionio Perez, manager of Cabrera's Mexican Restaurant on Huntington Drive, admits that opportunity doesn't come without challenges.
"It's going to be a little challenge for us, because this avenue is going to be crazy, so we'll try to do the best."
But he hopes the added traffic outside will mean more business inside.
"We're gonna be open for them," Perez said.
With seating for nearly 100 guests, he wants drivers to know Cabrera's will be open.
Aside from the remaining 210 lanes and the surface streets nearby, Caltrans recommends the 10 Freeway or the 60 Freeway through the closure, or the use of public transportation like Goldline or Metrolink.
There will be other closures in the future during Phase 2 of the bridge project, which will take place in August and close the eastbound lanes of the 210.
