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Flooding and mudslide shut down I-880 in Fremont

3 mins read

Flooding and a mudslide shut down all lanes of I-880 in Fremont on Sunday. The incident caused major traffic as drivers were diverted. 

As of Sunday evening, the northbound lanes were still closed and two lanes on the southbound are open. 

According to officials, both the northbound and southbound lanes should be reopened around midnight. The goal is to open all lanes before Monday morning. 

“Thank goodness this didn’t happen on a Monday morning, but it still caused a major backup in the East Bay,” said Caltrans spokesperson Pedro Quintana.

On Sunday morning, Caltrans responded to a rock and mudslide near a railroad overcrossing on I-880 in Fremont. 

Debris covered the northbound lanes, then the north and southbound lanes were flooded, causing the shutdown of the freeway. 

Caltrans worked to get the lanes back open, using pumps to get the water out and a tractor to collect the debris.

The agency is working with Union Pacific Railway to secure the area that slid down.

“Our engineers with their engineers inspected the slide. Seeing what we can do to stabilize it and secure it so we can open up the highway for motorists,” Quintana said.

The latest storm has Caltrans crews busy at many locations across the Bay Area.

“Our Caltrans crews have been working 12-hour shifts from this past Thursday,” Quintana said. “They have been positioning equipment, they have been looking for those prone areas, and addressing any hazards that need to be addressed quickly.”

Bay Area roads have endured months of rainy weather causing wear and tear on highways — something Caltrans looks for daily.

“We have seen months of unprecedented rain in a short period of time in the Bay Area so our roads are very saturated right now,” Quintana said. “We have engineers working with our maintenance crews — making sure our infrastructure is withholding the storms.”

Crews are looking at bridges and highways, making sure they are still safe for motorists. The Bay Area has another atmospheric river on the way. Caltrans has a recommendation for drivers.

“If you have the luxury of working from home, please do so,” Quintana said. “But we understand kids have to go to school, need to be picked up, doctors appts. Asking people to plan ahead. Go to Caltrans quick map, make sure roads are open and they can avoid any hazards.”

As Caltrans continues to respond to roadway issues caused by the storm, just remember to not go around closures or barriers. Drivers are asked to give CHP and Caltrans space as they work to fix the issue.

Charlene

Charlene is a Bay Area journalist who hails from the small community of Fresno. Drawing from her experience writing for her college paper, Charlene continues to advocate for free press and local journalism. She also volunteers in all the beach cleanups she can because she loves the water.

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