The November fire that shut down a section of the 10 Freeway — subsequently reopening more than a week after the blaze severely damaged a crucial artery for Los Angeles drivers — brought comparison to the 1994 Northridge earthquake and damage it caused to roadways across the region.

While the deadly earthquake caused much more destruction, there were similarities in the quick recovery efforts of both incidents. That can be attributed to accelerated construction work, and municipal, state and federal leaders working together to clear red tape, according to California State University, Northridge associate professor Rais Ahmad, part of CSUN’s Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management.

“Looking at both incidents, there’s a lot of comparisons, but one of the things that stands out is just how fast everything was repaired in the face of a disaster,” Ahmad said. “While the recent freeway fire didn’t cause as much damage as the ‘94 earthquake, both incidents saw round-the-clock repairs by engineers and all our civic leaders coming together to repair infrastructure in a dire time.”

For more Information: https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/media-releases/csun-prof-1994-earthquake-recovery-influenced-quick-repair-of-recent-10-freeway-fire/