Tons of Dropped Steel Piping on 91 to 605 Connector in Cerritos Stumps Traffic for Hours

The transition road from the Artesia (91) Freeway to the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway in Cerritos was shut down for more than four hours Monday after a big rig lost a heavy load of steel pipes on the roadway just before afternoon rush hour traffic.

The accident on the eastbound 91 Freeway connector to the northbound 605 Freeway was reported just before 2:40 p.m. Oct. 29, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Tatiana Sauquillo. 

When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered five steel pipes about 25 feet long and weighing 1,000 pounds each, strewn about on the roadway, Sauquillo said. The steel material apparently fell off the big rig after its driver crashed into the center divider, she added.

A tow truck and crane were summoned to the scene to help remove the piping, which caused the entire transition road to be shut down until about 7:30 p.m., creating a logjam of traffic for Monday afternoon commuters. 

Sauquillo said no injuries were reported.