Carmageddon 2011 – “The Price You Pay to Live in L.A.”
Transportation officials plan to shut down Interstate 405 between the U.S. 101 and Interstate 10 for 53 hours, from late Friday night (July 15) to early Monday morning (July 18), at which time crews will demolish the Mulholland Drive Bridge to accommodate the planned $1 billion freeway expansion and the addition of a northbound carpool lane on I-405 through the Sepulveda Pass (I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project).
The closure, dubbed “Carmageddon,” will affect an estimated 500,000 cars that travel the busy corridor every weekend. Huge delays are expected and travelers have been advised to stay away from the region altogether. In fact, the Los Angeles Police Department has encouraged people to throw block parties and has asked celebrities — from Lady Gaga to Ashton Kutcher — to Tweet about the closure. Local business owners are encouraging local residents to ditch their cars and explore their neighborhoods on foot instead. Some businesses are even offering deals to patrons during Carmageddon. Motorists who do take to the roads will be forced onto surface streets that pass through neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica and the Westside, likely creating lines of traffic throughout those regions.
The specific closure boundaries are:
- Northbound I-405: 10 miles between U.S. 101 and I-10
- Southbound I-405: 4 miles between U.S. 101 and the Getty Center Drive ramp
Sepulveda Boulevard will remain open as an alternate route for local residents only. More information, including alternate routes, can be obtained here.
Resources:
L.A. Metro Mulholland Dr. Bridge Demolition and Reconstruction Fact Sheet
EMAIL:
PHONE:
213.922.3665
