(05-24) 20:53 PDT — Interstate 580 through the MacArthur Maze reopened at 8:40 p.m. Thursday — just 26 days after a gasoline-fueled inferno caused it to collapse.

The first vehicles rolled east on I-580 from the Bay Bridge toll plaza and passed over the 165-foot stretch of newly laid freeway. A short time earlier, workers ripped canvas and plastic blankets from the concrete roadway poured Sunday afternoon, spritzed the deck with curing compounds, applied lane stripes and gave it a good sweeping.

“First of all we want to thank everyone for their patience,” said Bob Haus, spokesman for Caltrans after the reopening. Asked why Caltrans didn’t wait until the middle of the night to reopen the maze — when traffic is almost non-existent. “Our attitude from the beginning was that as soon as it’s ready to open, we’ll open it.”
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to make an appearance at the site of the repair on Friday.