California roadways repaired and open following quake

By Peter Johnson Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

Traffic drives over a patched section of Highway 178 between Ridgecrest and Trona, Calif., on F ... — Traffic drives over a patched section of Highway 178 between Ridgecrest and Trona, Calif., on Friday, July 5, 2019. The strongest earthquake in 20 years shook a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on the July 4th holiday, rattling nerves and causing injuries and damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of ongoing aftershocks. The 6.4 magnitude quake struck Thursday in the Mojave Desert, about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles, near the town of Ridgecrest. (James Quigg/The Daily Press via AP)

A road is damaged from an earthquake Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Trona, Calif. A strong earthquake rattled a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing some damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of aftershocks. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman)

California state highway officials said Saturday that all state roadways are repaired and open following Friday evening’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

Caltrans also said all bridges have been inspected and deemed safe.

A 30-mile section of State Route 178 between Ridgecrest — the area hit by two major temblors in as many days — and the town of Trona, southwest of Death Valley, was closed Friday night as a result of quake damage. Caltrans said it made temporary repairs overnight to allow the road to reopen.

There are no reports of road damage in the Las Vegas area, but the Nevada Department of Transportation said it anticipates heavy traffic along Interstate 15 and urges motorists to budget additional time.

Contact Peter Johnson at pjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0249. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.