Following pre-demolition work that began last May, the contractor for the northbound I-405 Sepulveda Pass carpool lane project is now scheduled to demolish one-half of Sunset Boulevard Bridge in West Los Angeles in six consecutive nights beginning Friday, July 23.

Demolition work and associated closures will be conducted during night-time hours only, with the bridge, freeway and local streets reopened during day-time hours. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has provided City and Caltrans-approved detours for motorists around the construction area during night-time work activities. Detour maps are also now available on the project website www.metro.net/405.

Demolition and subsequent reconstruction of the bridge – one of three bridges planned for replacement in the area – is the first major construction milestone for the 10-mile, $1 billion I-405 improvements project. The replacement of the bridge is required to build a new northbound high-occupancy vehicle lane between the I-10 and U.S. 101 freeways.  Bridge columns will be repositioned to accommodate the additional freeway lane created by the project.

Demolition activities are expected between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., with bridge demolition occurring between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. Ramp closures may start as early as 7 p.m.

The demolition and subsequent reconstruction of the bridge will be done in stages, with the southern half of the bridge removed first, followed by approximately 10 months of reconstruction. During reconstruction, freeway or street closures will not be required. The contractor will then demolish and reconstruct the northern half of the bridge in the same manner.

During demolition, Sunset Boulevard will be closed in both directions each night. Sepulveda Boulevard and both directions of the I-405 freeway will be closed alternately for two nights each. To maintain motorist access through the area, Sepulveda Boulevard and freeway closures will not take place simultaneously.

Below is a schedule of planned demolition activity, freeway and street closures and recommended detours:

To help direct motorists through detours, traffic control officers will be stationed at major intersections. Pedestrians will be rerouted to an area outside the construction zone during work.

Demolition of the Skirball and Mulholland Bridges is planned later this year and will follow a similar demolition/reconstruction schedule.

When completed, the expanded, seismically enhanced Sunset Bridge will be widened by approximately 30 feet and contain two additional lanes to improve area traffic flows. Southbound freeway ramps also will be widened to accommodate a greater number of vehicles, which will help reduce congestion on local streets.

As a design-build project, construction schedules are dynamic and subject to change. The latest construction updates will be made available on the project web site and on Twitter at twitter.com/I_405.

Background

The $1 billion project, a joint partnership between the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and Caltrans, will create a 10-mile carpool lane on the northbound I-405 between I-10 and U.S. 101 Freeways. The project will add capacity to one of the busiest freeways in the region and make it safer. Other project enhancements include the improvement of supporting freeway infrastructure such as ramps and sound walls, and the widening of freeway lanes that connect with both the I-10 and U.S. 101.

More Information

For additional project information and ongoing construction updates, visit www.metro.net/405 or call the project hotline at 213-922-3665.