The pothole on the southbound 5 Freeway transition to the eastbound 10 Freeway and the Cesar Chavez Avenue exit was reported at about 6:30 a.m. About 20 disabled cars lined the sides of the transition road.
"I heard a huge bang, and I felt a flat tire," sad Erica Zaimes of Glendale. "I took a look at the hole in the ground, and that is not a pothole. It's a crater."
The transition was shutdown for hours as crews repaired the damaged road. All lanes reopened just after 1:30 p.m.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the pothole is believed to be from a big rig crash Monday night when a big rig towing a cement truck overturned. No one was injured in the crash, and crews finished their repairs at about 3 a.m. But about three hours later, the pothole returned.
Caltrans is looking into what went wrong with the original repair. Drivers can file claims with the CHP to try to get reimbursed for their expenses. To file a claim, visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/damageclaims.htm.
