A fire that erupted overnight shut down the 5 Freeway for over six hours in Commerce Tuesday morning, and commuters would likely see delays through the evening.
The blaze broke out along a riverbed near the Slauson Avenue exit around 11:30 p.m. Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The fire was doused by 1 a.m.
The fire left the underside of the freeway bridge visibly scorched.
"We got damaged steel, damaged pads, concrete that's chipping off," said Lauren Wonder of Caltrans.
All northbound lanes reopened by 5 a.m., but only one lane was moving on the southbound side.
Crews were doing assessments on the structural integrity of the bridge to see they could safely reopen any more lanes.
Drivers are being warned to expect delays through Tuesday evening.
