California Commuters Are In For a Nightmare After Freeway Fire Damage Shuts Down Highway More than 300,000 drivers use the road daily.

By Erin Davis

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, November 12, 2023 - Aerial views of the 10 Freeway a day after a large pallet fire burned below, shutting the freeway to traffic.

A massive fire in California raged under the busy 10 Freeway for hours over the weekend, causing so much structural damage it's now closed indefinitely in both directions.

The closure is set to make Los Angeles' already notorious traffic a commuting nightmare for city residents. The 10 Freeway is used by more than 300,000 drivers daily, per ABC News.

"As we made clear yesterday, this was a huge fire, and the damage will not be fixed in an instant," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass at a news conference Monday morning. "Engineers have worked all night and are working right now to determine our path forward."

As for when the road may reopen, Bass said: "We cannot give you an estimate of time right now."

On Monday, Los Angeles transportation officials warned drivers to expect "gridlock" and suggested they "work from home."

The cause of the fire is under investigation. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

Erin Davis

Entrepreneur Staff

Freelance Writer

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Business News

Zillow Predicts These 10 Places Will Have the Hottest Housing Markets in 2025

Zillow predicted that the hottest housing market of 2025 will be Buffalo, New York. Here's why.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Masculine Energy Is Good': Mark Zuckerberg Tells Joe Rogan He Thinks Companies Need More Aggression

On the most recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said corporate culture has become "neutered."

Business News

'More Soul-Crushing Than Ever': Popular Hiring Platform Finds Around 20% of Its Postings Were 'Ghost Jobs'

Is that job listing too good to be true? There's a one-in-five chance that it might be.

Growing a Business

5 Risk-Taking Lessons From Founders Who Bet Big and Won

Discover the bold moves and strategic risks that catapulted these entrepreneurs to success. Learn how their fearless decisions can inspire your own path to growth.