More lanes reopen after fiery tanker crash near 2, 5 Freeways

The connector road taking traffic from the southbound 2 Freeway to the southbound 5 Freeway reopened early Monday morning after crews repaired some of the damage caused by a tanker truck fire, Caltrans officials said.

The northbound interchange remains closed, officials said, as does a portion of the northbound 5 Freeway at the interchange.

The northbound 2 Freeway is open, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The southbound 5 is open, but two lanes remain closed at Fletcher Drive, California Highway Patrol Officer Monica Posada said.

Caltrans workers were working to shore up the freeway tunnel where a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline overturned and caught fire Saturday morning.

“The intense heat from the tanker fire caused extensive damage to the pavement, walls, support columns, drainage, and lighting,” Caltrans said in a message posted to its website.

The closures snarled traffic throughout the weekend and early Monday.

“It’s commute hour, and it’s a Monday morning, so its heavy,” Posada said.

Thousands of gallons of gasoline from the truck also poured “a burning river of fuel” through storm drains in the Elysian Valley area, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters were deployed along a mile-long stretch of the Los Angeles River to monitor the spill. It was unclear what kind of environmental risk the spill might pose.

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hailey.branson@latimes.com