Santa Fe Springs - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced today that the newly reconstructed Alondra Boulevard Bridge is near completion and it's anticipated to reopen to the public before the Labor Day holiday, with a target date of Friday afternoon, August 29.  The Alondra Boulevard Bridge traverses the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), between Freeway Drive and Marquardt Avenue. 

A second structure within the project's scope, the North Fork Coyote Creek Overcrossing will also reopen, allowing motorists and pedestrians to access the Freeway Dr./Alondra Blvd. intersection that has been closed since August 2013 for improvements and realignment. 

"Caltrans is committed to expediting the final work for the bridge this week so that we can safely return the roadway to the public as soon as possible," said John Yang, Caltrans I-5 Corridor construction manager in Los Angeles County. "Re-opening the Alondra Bridge will enhance local traffic and public transit circulation in this area.  Caltrans thanks the motorists, residents, schools, patrons and businesses for their patience during construction."

Construction on the Alondra Boulevard Bridge Project began in March 2012. The entire scope of the project, scheduled to complete in mid-2015, will add one HOV, or carpool lane, and one general purpose lane in each direction.  Since 2013, the 57-year-old bridge was closed to traffic, then  demolished.  Over the past year, a new bridge was constructed and widened from a four-lane to a six-lane bridge, with three lanes in each direction, and longer to accommodate a wider freeway. The new bridge is 100-feet wide (99'.6") by 412-feet long. 

The current status of the ongoing work has the intersection of Alondra Blvd., Marquardt Ave. and So. Firestone Blvd. closed since August 6, 2014 to raise the roadbed at the bridge approach. This closure continues through August 29, upon the bridge's re-opening. Until then, motorists can detour  around the closure using 166th St., Carmenita Rd, Alondra Blvd. and Firestone Blvd. 

On Saturday, August 23, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., this intersection's  closure will extend by about 200 feet to reconstruct pavement at the Marquardt/Alondra diagonal intersection. Motorists travelling eastbound on Alondra Blvd. will detour to use Distribution Way, to Midway St., and reconnect to Marquardt Ave. and Artesia Blvd. Motorists travelling northbound on Marquardt Ave., will detour to Artesia Blvd. and to Valley View Ave., to reconnect to Firestone Blvd. or Alondra Blvd. Local access will be maintained for businesses along South Firestone Blvd.  

The following is a list of other construction activities on the I-5 South Corridor:

• Southbound I-5 Rosecrans Avenue on-ramp and off-ramp will close on Sun, Aug 24 at 10 p.m.  The ramps will be closed for approximately nine months (through mid-2015). 

Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) Full Freeway Closures:  Nightly, full directional freeway closures are scheduled for Sunday, August 24 through Thurs. Aug. 28 from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. to install falsework, a temporary wood structure, at the Silverbow Pedestrian Overcrossing. 

Southbound I-5 Full Freeway Closures: Norwalk/San Antonio Blvd. to Carmenita Rd.

• Nightly, Sun, Aug 24; Mon, Aug 25; and Tues Aug 26 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m.  

• Nightly, Wed, Aug 27 and Thurs, Aug 28 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m.

• Rosecrans Ave @ I-5 Overcrossing closure: Sun, August 24, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.  

Overnight, Full Closure of eastbound Rosecrans Ave. and one lane of westbound Rosecrans Ave. 

The work involves striping and setting k-rail concrete barriers.

• Closed sidewalk on Imperial Highway:  Thursday, August 21 to Spring 2015 on the south side of Imperial Highway, between Kalnor Ave. and Pioneer Blvd.  Pedestrian traffic will be detoured to use the sidewalk on the north side of Imperial Highway. 

Traffic Signal ShutDown at Carmenita Rd/Excelsior Dr. intersection. Wed, Aug 27, 9 am-3 pm.   

Traffic signals at the Carmenita Rd/Excelsior Dr. intersection will be shut down for electrical work and utility pole relocation.  The California Highway Patrol will be onsite for traffic control. 

An Extended Weekend Closure is scheduled on I-5 in both directions from Alondra Blvd. to Valley View Ave.  Motorists will experience partial (daytime) and full (overnight) lane closures;  and two freeway connectors will be closed: southbound I-605 to southbound I-5 and westbound SR-91 to northbound I-5.  Upon re-opening,  southbound I-5 traffic will shift onto the center of the roadway and the existing southbound lanes will be the new work zone; and the southbound I-5 on-ramp at Alondra Blvd. will permanently close. 

• Northbound I-5 Carmenita Road on-ramp is closed until mid-2016. Detour signs are posted to use the northbound I-5 on-ramp at Rosecrans Ave.  

• Southbound I-5 Imperial Highway on-ramp is permanently closed.

Mid-September 2014 - Florence Avenue Interchange Project begins construction. This project extends on I-5 from Orr and Day Road to just south of I-605.  It is the fifth project to begin construction in a series of six I-5 South Corridor Improvement Projects.  

The work is part of the $1.8 billion Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) South Corridor Improvement Projects to construct one carpool and one general purpose lane in each direction from the Los Angeles/Orange County line to Interstate 605.  The motoring public, residents and businesses are encouraged to sign-up for notification on street, lane and ramp closures by calling the toll-free I-5 South Corridor Improvement Projects information line (855) 454-6335 or by visiting www.I-5info.com