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By Miriam Raftery
Photos and video courtesy of Cal Fire
July 19, 2015 (Palm Springs)—Heavy rains washed out a bridge east of Palm Springs at Adair (four miles west of Desert Center) late today and caused it to collapse. The dramatic failure forced closure of I-10 in both directions and injured a motorist who plunged into the abyss. CHP reports that 30 feet of the I-10 freeway washed away—the major route from Riverside and Los Angeles counties into Arizona.
Motorists have been stuck in traffic for hours and motels quickly filled up, local TV stations report. There is no quick alternative; drivers have been diverted several hours out of their way to I-8 in the southern part of the state, or to another major highway farther north.
This was the second day in a route of apocalyptic commutes for interstate travelers, following yesterday’s wildfire that jumped across I-15 in San Bernadino County, forcing motorists to flee on foot as flames destroyed 20 cars and damaged even more.
The bridge at Desert Center collapsed on the eastbound side of I-10, but CHP shut down the westbound highway as well until safety inspections can be completed. There is no estimate yet as to when the bridge may be rebuilt, so if you are traveling to Arizona anytime soon, plan an alternative route and allow plenty of extra time since traffic may be congested with travelers from other areas forced onto I-8 in our region.
Today’s storm brought a deluge on top of yesterday’s heavy rains, with Ramona getting more than inches, causing flooding that left some cars underwater during the storm, 10 News reported. Flooding was also reported in La Mesa, where several vehicles reportedly suffered damage.
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