Statement From Montebello Mayor Frank Gomez on 60 Freeway Incident

MONTEBELLO, Calif., Dec. 15, 2011 -- On Dec. 14, 2011 at approximately 12 p.m. an incident involving a tanker truck occurred, resulting in the closure of the SR60 between the I710 and I605 freeways and damaging the Paramount Blvd./SR60 freeway.

Montebello Mayor Frank Gomez issued the following statement regarding the incident, the city's response and ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of the situation:

"Since this accident occurred, we have been working around the clock with the appropriate agencies to ensure the health and safety of our residents and anyone travelling through the Montebello area. During that time, we have worked to reroute traffic and support the California Highway Patrol investigation into the accident and the ensuing Caltrans structural safety inspection of the bridge and surrounding freeway.

"We are thankful that there were no injuries to the public from this incident and are now focused on the effort of rebuilding and helping our residents get back to life as usual. We want to assure residents during this busy holiday shopping season that Montebello is still open for business, and we encourage them to shop locally. We will continue to provide updates to the community as they become available."

As of Caltrans' evaluation today, it was determined that at least the portion of the Paramount Blvd. overpass above westbound SR60 would have to be demolished and rebuilt. Caltrans has already begun work on the demolition, while an assessment continues as to whether the portion of the overpass above eastbound SR60 is safe for travel. As a result of the damage, access to SR60 is temporarily closed from I710 to Rosemead Blvd. in both directions. Caltrans anticipates that SR60 will open up no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2011—in time for the evening commute.