The westbound 134 Freeway reopened in time for the Monday morning drive. Janet Kwak reports from Glendale.
Repairs to 1,000 feet of guard rail damaged in a fiery tanker crash that led to the arrest of one driver might require more lane closures this week on the westbound 134 Freeway near its interchange with the 5 Freeway.
Commuters Monday passed the stretch of charred overpass that was scorched by flames in Saturday's crash as the westbound 134 Freeway reopened to traffic in time for the morning commute. The road reopened late Sunday, but some lanes remained closed early Monday before the height of the morning drive.
"During this upcoming week, maybe into the next week, you'll start seeing only one to two lanes open on the westbound 134," said Caltrans' Lauren Wonder.
A DUI suspect allegedly crashed his car into the rear of the truck -- a collision that spark a massive fire fed by the 6,000-gallon tanker. The driver of the car, 25-year-old Hakop Maghakyan of Glendale, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
He was booked into the Los Angeles County Jail on a misdemeanor DUI related charge with bail set at $5,000.
A court date was set for Monday in Glendale.
All lanes of the 134 Freeway were closed during the initial crash investigation, but crews reopened eastbound lanes early Sunday. Westbound lanes were closed until about 10 p.m. Sunday as crews continued to inspect the overpass.
A guardrail damaged in the crash and fire is expected to require about a week to repair.
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"The flames did lick up under the bridge, but they didn't cause the damage that they could have," said Wonder.
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