CHP reopens all lanes on 5 freeway following tanker fire - Los Angeles Times
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CHP reopens all lanes on 5 freeway following tanker fire

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All lanes on the 5 and 2 freeways near downtown Los Angeles have been reopened after a huge fuel tanker fire over the weekend, the California Highway Patrol said Tuesday morning.

The only closure still in effect is the transition between the northbound 2 to the northbound 5 -- the actual location of the fire -- which will remain closed for up to six months, CHP officials said.

Caltrans workers were working to shore up the tunnel, where a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline overturned and caught fire Saturday.

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“The intense heat from the tanker fire caused extensive damage to the pavement, walls, support columns, drainage, and lighting,” Caltrans said in a message posted on its website.

Resulting closures on both freeways snarled traffic throughout the weekend and early Monday.

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Thousands of gallons of gas from the truck also poured “a burning river of fuel” through storm drains in the Elysian Valley area, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters were deployed along a milelong stretch of the Los Angeles River to monitor the spill. It was unclear what kind of environmental risk the spill might pose.

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