For the second time in a week, the 71 Freeway in Pomona was shut down after large potholes opened by recent rain damaged multiple vehicles.
The freeway was closed in both directions overnight Tuesday near the Holt Avenue exit, according to the California Highway Patrol. It was the same location on the freeway where about 30 vehicles had flat tires and damaged rims after encounters with potholes last week.
The CHP blocked the freeway at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday after the first reports of damage, according to Officer Joseph Davila.
“They shut it down early enough where they could mitigate the issue,” he said.
About five vehicles were reported to have been damaged, he said, although multiple drivers seemed to have steered toward the shoulder after realizing the road was damaged.
The closure affected morning commuters as they were diverted off the freeway at Holt Avenue while Caltrans crews worked to repair the road.
At 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, one southbound lane of the freeway was reopened, Davila said. Northbound traffic is expected to be diverted off Holt Avenue until the afternoon.
The stretch of the 71 Freeway near Holt Avenue has been hit hard by the storms in Southern California, but officials have been aware that the freeway is in need of more extensive repairs, Davila said.
“The roadway needs a full and more extensive repair,” he said, “but due to the rain we haven’t been able to accomplish that.”
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