405 closure section re-opened, earlier than schedule LOS ANGELES, CA (BDCi) – The 405 freeway re-opened around noon P.D.T., several hours ahead of schedule. The shutdown was supposed to last 53 hours in total and re-open at 6am Monday morning July 18th. The closure began late Friday night to make it possible for construction crews to demolish ½ of the Mulholland Bridge which sits in the middle of the Sepulveda Pass. The work this weekend is part of a larger billion dollar project aimed at widening the freeway and connecting carpool lanes up and down the highway. As the project finished early, the contractor in charge will receive incentives on top of the $3 million that they get for completing the project on time. According to the Los Angeles Times, project director Mike Barbour said that the incentive money “isn’t a large number…By us opening early, that far outweighs any money spent” on incentives. The section of freeway closed, between the I-10 (Santa Monica freeway) and the I-101 (Ventura freeway) to the north, typically accommodates an estimated 500,000 vehicles at this time of year over a weekend.
Going into the weekend, many feared and some made fun of the freeway closure. Through a mass public relations campaign however, it appeared people got the message and kept the freeways and adjoining roads clear.
By Don Weinstein Source: Los Angeles Times 17 July 2011
1:30p.m. P.D.T.