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Subscribe to RSSA time-lapse video shows how around the clock construction to upgrade a bridge on L.A.'s Interstate 405 averted a potential traffic nightmare. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Updated at 9:52a.m. ET -- The closure of a 10-mile stretch of the 405 Freeway in California came and went during the weekend as demolition crews completed work on the Mulholland Bridge in time to reopen the freeway for the Monday morning commute and a high-speed pursuit.
Traffic was flowing through the Sepulveda Pass early Monday after bridge work that began Saturday as part of the freeway widening project. No major traffic problems were reported during the weekend-long freeway closure, which allowed crews to demolish the north side of the bridge.
Ramps along the Santa Monica Freeway that connect with the 405 Freeway began to reopen by 8:45 p.m. Sunday. Northbound lanes opened later Sunday, followed by southbound lanes.
Mayor Antonio Villaragosa called the project a success and thanked Los Angeles residents for cooperating and ensuring what had been dubbed "Carmageddon" actually was "Carma-Heaven."
They survived Carmageddon, but now Los Angeles is coping with the sequel! Once again, the famous 405 freeway has been shut down, forcing Los Angeles drivers off the road. NBC News' Diana Alvear shows us how Angelenos are using this weekend to embrace car-free adventures.
For more on this story, visit NBCLosAngeles.com
California Highway Patrol officers said several people broke onto the closed freeway. Seven people were detained, including rollerbladers and skaters, the CHP said.
Hours after the freeway reopened, police began searching for the driver of a Jaguar who ran from the vehicle after a high-speed San Fernando Valley pursuit.
The pursuit suspect ran from the vehicle after parking it on the side of the 405 Freeway in Van Nuys.
Dan Kulka, a spokesman for the contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., said Sunday that crews still had to clear debris and sweep the roadway before the work could be complete. Engineers had to inspect the bridge work, Kulka said.
Crews took advantage of the closure to take on seven weeks of maintenance projects such as trimming trees and re-striping lanes, work that saved taxpayers $150,000 and will lead to fewer lane closures in the future, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
The south side of the overpass was demolished during last summer's first "Carmageddon." No major traffic issues were reported during the July 2011 closure.
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405, the San Diego Freeway... too bad it doesn't go to San Diego. But then again the I5 has so many local name changes that they couldn't fit another - even though it actually does go to San Diego. Idiots.
so would you call it Sepulveda freeway or San Fernando Valley to the Beaches freeway....or Tsunami coming escape through the mountains to the valley freeway.....
or LAX to the Valley Freeway
How about the Orange Freeway? It does go to Orange County.
Somehow the billion dollar (two Soyndras) price tag doesn't raise any eyebrows when it's all about moving people around in 3000 pound cars with a single occupant in each one over a bridge.
If a fraction of that was spent on a bike path or...heaven forbid...any kind of renewable energy Limbaugh would be screaming bloody murder.
the expansion plan was/is for carpool lanes..................Sepulveda Blvd. has bike path to the beach and it is safer now that some of the traffic is on the freeway
You have to keep in mind Solyndra was essentially a fraud and should not be considered an alternative energy company at all.
Did you know European cars got twice our mileage - pound for pound.
Car free activities in LA instead of driving around all day? Why that's un American, maybe even communist.
simply amazing..here in york,pa.it would have taken Penn Dot 5yrs to do that much work.they have been "working" on the RT30 bridge over the river for at least a year with no end in sight.
MIKE: What has 4 doors and sleeps 6?
A Penn Dot camper!
Penn Dot trucks outnumber police cars around here by a margin of 3 to 1 at the donut shop.
So it can be done that fast!!
Wow, here in Canada they close down lanes for hundreds of kilometers and you only to see ONE workman leaning on a broom.
And that takes all summer.
perhaps they can lend Canada their cash only labour force................................:)
this was the tearing down of one side of a "narrow" bridge.....the clearing of the mess..... they have not started the rebuilding that can be done over time closing down one lane at a time.......nothing was built this weekend it was a bridge that spaned 6 lane that was seen as to narrow by the politicians..needs to span 7 or 8 lanes (shaking head at politicians in general, and the mayor for sure)
Maybe the folks at VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation), should take note of how its done right! It was a BIG mess over here a few weeks ago when they closed of two main bridges, for maintenance, causing traffic delays for more then 5 hours! Luckily I wasn't stuck in it, but I know a few people that were.
Only vaguely related, anyone else tired of anything seen as inconvenient being labeled with -mageddon? Carmageddon, Snomageddon, etc? Just curious. Gets old after awhile, imo.
Totally agree !
you would have prefer maybe...car-gate...............?............:)
I prefer car-pocalypse.
Believe me, I live here and having to hear about "carmageddon" for months leading up to this and same with last summer's closure just drives me crazy! Really, any time they have to attach a "cute" name to any thing like this irks me. Can't they just say "freeway closure"? But I have to admit, they do a great job getting the word out and letting drivers know. I don't drive anywhere near that closure (I'm in Orange County) and there were signs on both sides of the 2 freeways I drive on my 30 mile route to work for at least 2 months leading up to the closure. Plus announcements on the radio and TV. And yet, there were still a few people who didn't know about it. Saw them on the news complaining about how inconvienenced they were. Heehee...
How 'bout Incarvenience?
What you gonna do when REVelations come?
It's the scrap metal rapture.
all the metal is being recycled and all the concrete is being reused as base for other freeway projects, that was part of the deal with this contractor.....who, BTW, has a highly trained group of regular employees...these are not hourly, paid in cash , picked up at the local hardware store workers!
This story is a waste of headline space.
this comment was a waste of vine space.....................
What a waste? This is only the most heavyly traveled freeway in the USA.
Way to go Keiwit, another schedule milestone completed on time.
Hooray for California!! I lived in California when the Northridge earthquake toppled the I-10 Freeway, and I saw first hand how the transportation system effectively works when goals are set and budgets are met on time and on the dollar. There was no over payment, but a bonus was offered to the contractor if he came in on time, which he did. This is the way things should function.
I now live in Florida, and it has taken 7 years to expand a street called Bruce B Downs that is only at most 10 miles long, and they have been working on a toll road called the Leroy Selmon Toll Road for the past 10 years with no end in sight.
The city counsel in Hillsborough and Pasco Counties have let the home builders off the hook when it comes to providing infrastructure and has passed this problem over to the homeowner in the form of higher property taxes. I couldn't even imagine this happening in California. I applaud Cal Trans for doing a great job! "Carmeggedon" is only a figment of a stupid imagination. The efficiency of the system out runs any other municipality in the whole country! Hooray!!
YIPPPEEE.... the roads open, quick lets go run into each other , maybe cause an 8 lane pile up, YAAAAHHHH......:)
amazing, clearly caltrans didnt do the work,or it would strill be closed for another 6 months, what with nap times, booze breaks, 3 hour lunches, had to be a contractor who knows what the word , work means
was interesting watching some of it....at one point there was a slight malfunction on one of the bigest pieces of equipment..... the driver backed it up clear of the others, set down the scooping attachment..... got out , checked something, got what appeared to be a wrench out of the cab, fixed the problem , got back in the cab , tested it out, everywhich way and then drove back into the cluster of equipment that were loading the procession of dumptrucks......all this in 100 degree heat.....that is a worker ! All seemed very motivated to get the job finished. The pictures of people standing around in hardhats and office clothes were all the political hopefulls and office holders in town...that just had to make an appearance.
No thanks to me. I didn't stay off the roads this time. I'm sick of the way Angelenos are being held hostage to this nonsense. Mark my words, a year after this whole jazz is finished, it will be seen as one of the most gargantuan wastes of money and resources in SoCal history.
That's LA, they get things done! Out here in Riverside they are still working on an overpass that has been at least five years in the works. Same with Santa Barbara and San Diego; everything is done mañana!
Amazing what private enterprise can do with appropriate incentives. Compare the 2 Carmegeddons to Boston's Big Dig as far as getting work done on time. (Don't even talk about being on budget).
Some will never be happy. If they close the road for construction they whine. But if they wait for the bridge to collapse or the road to become full of holes they whine too.
It also sounds like they made good use of the time...trimming trees, painting lines...you know that other stuff that they need to close lanes for...while the road was already closed.
In L.A., that's a significant piece of information.
Yawn.... why is this even news? and btw So. Ca. people: stop inserting "THE" before the number of your interstates, US Routes, etc (THE 405) - you make it sound like the roadways are members of your family. you are the only idiots in the country that do this - ANNOYING!
just for you:
The 101
The 110
The 405
The 118
The 210
The 5
The 14
The 134
oh, must not forget THE PACIFIC COAST HWY
still annoying...