Watch CBS News

60 Freeway In Beaumont Shut Down Briefly For Suspicious Package Investigation

BEAUMONT (CBSLA.com) — The Moreno Valley (60) Freeway between Moreno Valley and Beaumont was shut down Tuesday after a suspicious package found on the eastbound side of the freeway.

"It looked like it could be a pipe bomb. We're treating it as such," California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Osteen said at about 11:30 a.m.

The object was spotted around 9 a.m. just east of Gilman Springs Road, Osteen said. The CHP closed both the east-and westbound sides of the freeway from Gilman to Interstate 10 as a precaution. However, the westbound 60 was reopened at 11:15 a.m., and the eastbound 60 was reopened a short time afterward, Caltrans reported.

"The sheriff's bomb squad is conducting an investigation," Osteen said.

The area where the freeway was shut down is a rugged, sparsely populated space known as the Badlands. There are no frontage roads available for motorists to use to turn around.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.