America's biggest freight highway shut by torrential rains, floods
Time：2015-07-27
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Flood waters caused the collapse of a 30-foot section of an Interstate 10 bridge overpass just east of Indio.
The I-10 runs across the US from Los Angeles to Jacksonville and is one of the biggest freight highways in the country, playing a critical role in providing last-mile connections to ports, manufacturing facilities, intermodal terminals, and warehouses and distribution centres, noted American Shipper.
The I-10 is also the primary inland connection from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Traffic volumes along I-10 between the Coachella Valley in California and Arizona average about 27,000 vehicles per day with a third being commercial.
According to American Transportation Research Institute, closing the I-10 is adding an estimated US$2.5 million per day to the industry`s costs in the form of cargo delays and increased driver and fuel costs.
California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom Newsom ordered the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to "formally request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration`s Emergency Relief Programme" to obtain funding for emergency repairs and reconstruction.
The Wall Street Journal quoted a spokesman for the US Department of Transportation who said the bridge was "healthy, happy and fine until a wall of water hit it," and received a 91.5 score out of 100 for structural integrity in an inspection earlier this year.