For the safety of motorists and truckers, the California Department of Transportation will keep the two right lanes closed on northbound Interstate 5 north of Lake Hughes Road to before Templin Highway for the time being to further evaluate integrity of the freeway lanes and two retaining walls damaged in the Route Fire that started on Aug. 31. The two left lanes remain open, and southbound I-5 lanes remain open.

Now that the wall has stopped smoldering, materials, structural and geotechnical engineers were able to conduct field reviews. Based upon initial visual reviews, some of the vertical steel columns are warped, wall tiebacks are broken and horizontal anchors into the dirt may have been damaged. The cracks on the asphalt road where it meets the concrete shoulder have widened to two inches. Much of the timber lagging has fallen off of the walls while the remaining boards have burned.

Engineers took steel samples this morning and those samples will be tested in a laboratory in Sacramento on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Further samples of concrete will be taken tomorrow. Once they conduct analysis and discuss permanent repairs, there will be a further decision on when lanes may re-open.

Caltrans and CHP advise motorists to continue to expect heavy delays and to delay trips or use alternate state routes as much as possible: State Route-126 to US-101, or SR-14 to SR-138.

Real time travel information can be found at Caltrans QuickMap or by calling 1-800-427-7623.