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Why The Playbook From The Northridge Earthquake Could Be Used Again To Speed 10 Freeway Repairs
An aerial view of cleanup crews working beneath the closed 10 Freeway Monday.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
The shut down of the 10 Freeway has disrupted the commute of hundreds of thousands of daily commuters. How To LA's Brian De Los Santos spoke to an urban planning expert on how the current repairs might compare to what happened back in 1994 when the Northridge earthquake severely damaged another section of the same freeway.
The backstory: The 1994 quake took out two overpasses — which potentially could have closed the 10 Freeway for many, many months. Marlon Boarnet, an urban planning professor at USC, says the playbook that got the road back up way faster then could also come into play today. The speed of repairs then were driven in large part to millions of dollars in incentives for finishing ahead of schedule — with larger bonuses the earlier it was done, and penalties repairs fell behind schedule.
Why that matters now: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday during LAist’s Air Talk that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to “emulate” the 1994 plans, but did not provide specifics. Newsom did say Tuesday that repairs could take three to five weeks — as opposed to months — and that work will be done 24/7 to ensure it's completed soon.
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The 10 Freeway Closure Shows That We Can Rethink Our Commutes
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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