5-day closure of westbound 210 Freeway through San Gabriel Valley starts Wednesday night

IRWINDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Brace yourselves if you depend on the 210 Freeway on a regular basis. Starting Wednesday, a stretch of the freeway will be off limits as work crews make repairs to the hinges of the 210 Freeway bridge over the San Gabriel River.

According to Caltrans, the closure will impact a stretch of the 210 Freeway between the 605 Freeway and Irwindale Avenue. The closure will begin at 11 p.m. and is expected to lift on Tuesday, July 26 at 5 a.m.

During this time, all westbound lanes within the boundaries of the construction project will be closed, and the eastbound side will be converted to three lanes going both directions.

Many commuters across the Southland will likely be impacted.

Bennet Stewart, who lives in Covina, told Eyewitness News the closure will have a major impact on him. Stewart is concerned the freeway closure will make it hard to visit his 96-year-old mother.

Caltrans advises commuters to expect major delays and to use the 10 or 60 freeway as alternate routes.

"The bridge essentially is 811-feet-long," structural manager Qunh Nguyn said during a press conference last week. "The challenge in this project is not just the upgrade of the hinges -- two hinges -- hinge four and six, but we have to do it for the first time in California."

The nightmare for commuters is expected to last at least 126 hours, which adds up to around least five days.

"This project is partially funded by Senate Bill 1, which is the gas tax. During the project, crews will divert traffic from Westbound I-210 onto Eastbound I-210 at Irwindale Avenue," said Eric Menjivar with Caltrans.