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As part of the widening of the 405 freeway to add a carpool lane through the Sepulveda Pass, the bridge that carries Sunset Boulevard over the freeway is going to soon be demolished and rebuilt — while partially remaining open to traffic. Work begins later this month.

The page to the right is a Q&A on the Sunset part of the 405 project and is part of a larger document.

The item below is from Metro CEO Art Leahy’s daily email to staff about meeting with community members and businesses about the impending bridge work. We’ll have lots more on The Source as work gets closer to happening.

Community Briefings Regarding Sunset Bridge Demolition & Reconstruction

On Monday, April 26, 2010, staff for the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening project briefed the Hotel Luxe and Hotel Angeleno on the upcoming Sunset Bridge demolition and reconstruction. These activities require reconfigured traffic flow across the bridge during the second week of May, with demolition beginning later that month.

The project team committed to continual communication with the hotels to ensure that planned construction activities do not interfere with major events planned at either facility.

Also on Monday, April 26, staff met with the Executive Board of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce to brief them on the I-405 project overall and upcoming Wilshire area construction activities specifically. Once again, the Sunset Bridge demolition and reconstruction was the main focus. Using graphics to explain the reconstruction of the Sunset Bridge, the staff also presented extensive detour plans, as well as the scope of the communication with local stakeholders, commuters and other local infrastructure projects. Traffic-related related concerns dominated the questions from attendees. Staff committed to providing updates on major impacts, and The Chamber agreed to support the I-405 project by alerting their 700+ members of construction activities. They also agreed to link the project website with their homepage and will encourage members to join the I-405 email list.

On Wednesday, April 28, project staff briefed the Bel Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council. In addition to the I-405 project’s Sunset Bridge demolition and reconstruction, the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power has begun utility work in the immediate area adjacent to the Sunset Bridge on Church Lane, south of Sunset Boulevard.

This briefing gave staff an opportunity to share detailed work plans for Sunset Bridge and an opportunity to highlight the coordination efforts between both infrastructure projects.