California highway, closed due to bridge washout, reopening to limited traffic Friday

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A worker walks near a washed-out bridge near the town of Desert Center, along Interstate 10 in Southern California, on Monday, July 20, 2015. All traffic along one of the major highways connecting California and Arizona was blocked indefinitely when the bridge over a desert wash collapsed during a major storm, and the roadway in the opposite direction sustained severe damage. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Officials say the interstate highway connecting California and Arizona that has been closed since flooding damaged several bridges will reopen to limited traffic Friday.

The California Department of Transportation had expected the closure to last weeks, but officials said Tuesday that work is progressing fast enough that the limited reopening is possible.

One lane of traffic in each direction will use what normally is the westbound span of the bridge over a small desert gully. That bridge was damaged but not broken by erosion caused by the flooding.

The eastbound span, which buckled into the gully, will take longer to fix.

Caltrans says it was able to enter into an emergency contract to get the work done quickly.

The interstate typically sees 54,000 vehicles a day. That traffic must now take a detour of several hours.

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