Take pity on anyone who has tried to drive through the Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach the last two weeks.

First, a long-burning lithium-ion battery fire shut down the Vincent Thomas Bridge on Sept. 26 and 27. Then, on Monday, a dramatic police standoff blocked the International Gateway Bridge for much of the day.

Today, Caltrans crews have shut down two lanes leading onto the westbound Vincent Thomas Bridge so they can replace a damaged overhead sign.

Someone crashed into the sign at the Ferry Street off-ramp Thursday morning, according to the CHP, leaving debris in the road and the sign dangerously askew.

Caltrans said the lanes could be blocked until 6 p.m. — just long enough to, once again, snarl the evening rush hour.

But try to look on the bright side. Maybe this is good practice for when the bridge gets major repairs in 2025, a process that will include intermittent or full closures for years on end.

You can check live traffic conditions on Caltran’s Quickmap.

Jeremiah Dobruck is executive editor of the Long Beach Post where he oversees all day-to-day newsroom operations. In his time working as a journalist in Long Beach, he’s won numerous awards for his investigative reporting and editing. Before coming to the Post in 2018, he wrote for publications including the Press-Telegram, Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times. Reach him at [email protected] or @jeremiahdobruck on Twitter.