Latest on 60 Freeway closure

MONTBELLO - Commuters will have to continue to find alternate routes around the 60 Freeway through Saturday at least as transportation officials ran into obstacles in an effort to demolish a bridge over the freeway, officials said.
The bridge that hangs over the 60 Freeway at the Paramount exit was damaged after a tanker truck exploded in flames underneath, damaging at least the side of the bridge hanging over the eastbound side of the freeway.
Both sides of the freeway have been closed since Wednesday, causing long delays in traffic in side streets around the 60 Freeway, on the 10 Freeway, and the 605 and 710 Freeeway.
The discovery of asbestos encased AT&T fiber optic and telephone wires pushed the expected reopening of the 60 Freeway between the 605 and 710 freeways back to Saturday at the earliest, California Highway Patrol Officer Doris Peniche said.
Demolition has begun on the collapsed portion of the Paramount Boulevard overpass above the eastbound lanes of the 60 Freeway, where the truck fire was centered, officials said.
Caltrans officials announced Friday that the portion of the bridge over the westbound lanes of the freeway would not need to be demolished.
Had that been the case, the closure could have lasted through the weekend and potentially into next week, authorities said.
Meanwhile on the roads and freeways, "(Traffic) is still pretty bad out there," CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos said. "It's not going to be your typicial Friday light this morning. We do tell people to give yourselves extra time, and bring along lots of patience."
The westbound 10 Freeway was jammed early Friday from Vincent Avenue in West Covina to the 710 Freeway, as it continued to be commuters primary route around the 60 closure. Traffic was flowing clearly from the 57 Freeway to Vincent, where it was gridlocked Thursday morning.
The westbound 210 Freeway provided a slow ride between the 57 Freeway and Pasadena, and traffic became jammed between Irwindale Avenue in Irwindale and Santa Anita Avenue in Arcadia.
Surface street alternatives to the 60 Freeway, such as Garvey Avenue, Whittier Boulevard and Beverly Boulevard continued running slower-than-usal as well.