Freeway in California partially reopens after bridge damage

DESERT CENTER, CA -- A California interstate linking Los Angeles and Phoenix has partially reopened after flash flooding damaged several bridges.

Traffic began moving again Friday on a desert stretch of Interstate 10 where a surge of storm water barreling down a gully Sunday carved away the soil under concrete bridge supports.

The eastbound span buckled into the gully and a driver was seriously injured.

Construction crews labored around the clock to shore up the westbound span over Tex Wash. One of its two lanes will handle traffic heading toward Arizona until the eastbound span is rebuilt.

The reopening is welcome news for travelers and truckers, but traffic bottlenecks will remain.

The California Department of Transportation said delays as long as half an hour can be expected at peak travel times, including Friday evenings and late Sunday afternoons.