405 Shutdown Approaching, Drivers Urged to Stay Away

‘Carmageddon II’ is set to begin this weekend in Los Angeles, and city officials are strongly urging drivers to avoid the area at all costs.

Starting Friday night at approximately 7 p.m., Caltrans crews will begin shutting down ramps and will have both sides of the 405 Freeway between the 101 and 10 freeways completely shut down by 11 p.m., where it will remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday morning.

The closure will allow for continued construction of a new bridge crossing over the 405 at Mulholland Drive and is a part of a larger, billion dollar Sepulveda Pass improvement project that will also add a 10-mile carpool lane to the freeway, along with several other upgrades.

Unlike last year’s 405 shut down, where construction was completed 17 hours ahead of schedule and traffic was nowhere to be seen, Caltrans is anticipating a much larger workload as they demolish the north side of the Mulholland Bridge. They do not expect to open early this year.

“Stay off the freeway. Because if the public doesn’t head the warnings, then we are pretty certain that we’ll have the Carmageddon that we’re predicting,” said Mike Miles, Caltrans District 7 Director at a news conference Tuesday.

“We need to keep approximately two-thirds of the vehicles off the system that normally travel on the San Diego Freeway. That’s about 185,000 cars that we need to stay home and not drive… We expect a lot of congestion if you don’t stay home.”

Law enforcement is also adding that drivers should not attempt to take advantage of the closed down freeway as some did last year. This time, trespassers could face serious fines.

To encourage drivers to stay home, city officials are encouraging residents in the area to “Eat, Shop, and Play Locally”, as many restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues are offering weekend “destination discounts”.

The overall goal of the construction project is to alleviate some of the congestion and danger on one of the most treacherous and traffic filled stretches of highway in the country. With wider and safer roads, drivers can make their way through the 405 without the constant, massive jams and threat of accidents.

Areas of high traffic can create dangerous and complicated accident situations that involve several different vehicles. Sorting through these crashes can be a nightmare, as liability and compensation are extremely difficult to properly assign.

To best sort through situations like these, it is best to turn to an experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer who is familiar with these kinds of accidents and who can clearly lead you through the legal process.

At AA Accident Attorneys, we can help sort through the mess and get you the full amount that you are rightfully owed. We will not charge you anything for our legal services until your case has been won. Call us today to learn what our accident lawyers can do for you!

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