Downtown San Jose, Calif., rises to the northeast of the Interstate 280-Freeway 87 interchange on this aerial view taken Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 2, 2015, in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Malfunctioning water pumps flooded two ramps on the southbound I-280, inflicting closures Wednesday as Caltrans works to restore the flood-prone stretch of freeway, the California Freeway Patrol stated.
The closures have an effect on the connector ramp from southbound Interstate 280 to State Route 87 – which connects to Mineta San Jose Worldwide Airport – and the southbound offramp for Hen Ave. CHP Officer Ross Lee stated the water pump malfunction “fully submerged” the ramps.
Caltrans stated it expects to reopen one lane of the Freeway 87 ramp on Wednesday at 5:00 PM, whereas the company didn't present a timeline for opening the Hen Ave. exit.
Freeway 87, usually likened to a rollercoaster for its dips, is notoriously susceptible to flooding because it was constructed over a swamp close to the Guadalupe River. Cal Trans has constructed a sequence of pipes within the space that should take away groundwater from the freeway.
The closure will not be impacting site visitors stream in the intervening time, however it could begin to trigger backups throughout rush-hour commutes, Lee stated.
The ramps to Hen Ave and SR-87 from I-280 SB are closed on account of a difficulty with the water pumps leading to flooding. CalTrans personnel are on scene and dealing to repair the problem. Plan accordingly and anticipate potential delays pic.twitter.com/uJhrrr3LP3
— CHP San Jose (@CHPSanJose) January 12, 2022