Travel woes hit early morning commuters in Los Angeles as a water main break led to the flooding of the 101 Freeway in Boyle Heights, officials closed the southbound lanes while leaving drivers to seek alternate routes. According to KTLA, the flooding was reported around 1:30 a.m. near the 4th Street exit, The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert, leading to a full closure in both directions, though the northbound lanes were reopened just after 4 a.m.
Crews diligently worked through the early hours to manage the catastrophe and direct traffic, rerouting vehicles away from the submerged passageway, the California Highway Patrol reopened the northbound lanes around 4:30 a.m., as reported by NBC Los Angeles, and attempted to mitigate the disruption to the countless commuters.
The water main that burst at the intersection of Boyle and Second Streets caused a significant amount of water to flood the southbound lanes, with footage from the scene showcasing extensive pooling across the freeway, as shown by ABC7.
Drivers have been urged to take alternative routes, such as the southbound 5, 110, and 710 freeways, or to use Alameda or Soto streets as byways while the closures persist, the southbound lanes remained shut until authorities deemed them safe for travel ensuring that the morning commute for many Los Angelenos was far from routine, this advice coming from CBS News Los Angeles, with no immediate timeline provided for when the southbound lanes of 101 will reopen.
