I-210 Foothill Freeway Construction Again This Weekend as “Rosejam” Inconveniences Continue

Eastbound lanes on the Interstate 210 freeway will again be closed to traffic for a 34-hour period beginning Saturday, August 27, until Monday, August 29, as part of the ongoing reconstruction on the interstate in northwest Pasadena.

In a report in the City Manager’s Weekly Newsletter, Pasadena Transportation Director Frederick C. Dock said the closure will be from 7 p.m. on Saturday through 5 a.m. Monday.

Dock said nightly intermittent lane/ramp closures will also occur throughout the corridor as traffic is rerouted around active construction zones. These types of closures have been occurring for the last year and are expected to continue through the end of the project in 2018.

At the August 15 City Council meeting, Councilmembers raised some questions on whether additional road and ramp closures should be anticipated, and whether Caltrans could do more to inform the public of these impending closures.

The Transportation Department said Caltrans could only say aside from the closures next weekend, there will be intermittent closures of the access at all of the interchanges on the I-210 in Northwest Pasadena. The closures will be for 45-day periods, but will only be for one pair of on/off ramps at a time. Once a ramp is closed, the closure will last up to 45 days without reopening.

Dock said Transportation Department personnel are working with Caltrans constantly to ensure the 45-day ramp closures do not coincide with major Rose Bowl activities. This phase of the construction will have the most impact on residents and businesses in Northwest Pasadena, and City staff is working to minimize the detour and route relocation efforts.

Caltrans Public Affairs also reported they have been issuing press releases about the closures regularly and posting portable Changeable Message Signs (PCMS) along the freeways at least a week before the weekend closures.

The closure notices are also shared with all media outlets in the area, including print, TV and radio, and government agencies including local cities, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol and elected state officials.

In Pasadena, Dock says his staff also reached out to local stakeholders including the Rose Bowl, Pasadena Community College, Norton Simon Museum and local hospitals to provide them information about the closures.

Caltrans provided closure updates on Twitter, and Pasadena Transportation also promoted the work a week before on its Twitter account.

The City’s Public Information Office also provided press release and social media content parallel to Caltrans activities.

Navigation app providers – Google maps and Waze, among others – were made aware of the closures including their effects in the providers’ routing guidance and visual displays, Dock said.