Grapevine reopens, local highways still congested

TEJON PASS, Calif. - Caltrans crews were able to reopen the grapevine Friday morning, as highways on the Central and South Coasts were flooded with holiday travelers trying to detour around the closure.

I-5 at the grapevine was closed late Christmas night because of snowy and icy conditions.

Caltrans crews were brought in to thaw the ice and make the road safe. Caltrans said just before 11 a.m. Friday that the CHP was escorting traffic over the pass.

Travel experts had warned Thursday would be the worst day for holiday travel this season, but the winter storm that swept through California made the situation even worse.

The Thursday afternoon and evening commutes were rough. At 5 p.m., the 27-mile drive from Ventura to Santa Barbara was taking drivers a whopping 109 minutes. Drive times from Santa Barbara to Ventura weren't as bad, but were still taking about 49 minutes. The 32-mile drive from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo clocked in at 49 minutes, while the 30-mile drive form Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo was 46 minutes.

Traffic was still slow moving Friday, although it wasn't quite as bad as Thursday evening. The roads were significantly more congested and there were several major slow downs on Highway 101 and other local roads.

You can track your drive using our live traffic maps.