Cabrillo Bridge fire prompts street closure

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A fire broke out inside the Laurel Street Bridge Thursday during retrofit work on the Balboa Park landmark, prompting a full closure of the span.

Flames began spreading within the structure over State Route 163 about 11 a.m., according to San Diego police.

Authorities blocked off the street and sidewalks atop the edifice while firefighters worked to subdue the smoldering blaze. The closure was expected to last about six hours, a dispatcher said.

Crews have been reinforcing the bridge — the western entrance to the city's primary municipal park — in recent weeks as part of a long-term project to improve its ability to withstand seismic activity.