405 Freeway Opens Early

 

 

The event that many feared would be the "Carmageddon" of epic traffic jams cruised calmly toward a finish Sunday, with bridge work on the Los Angeles roadway completed ahead of schedule and officials reopening a 10-mile stretch of one of the busiest U.S. freeways.

Drivers honked their horns and waved from car windows as traffic started moving on Interstate 405 just after noon, for the first time since being shut down at midnight Friday to allow for the partial demolition of a bridge. There were no major problems since the freeway was closed, despite warnings and traffic was lighter than usual.

 The mayor praised contractors for working so quickly and thanked city residents for heeding calls to stay off the roads. The mayor also gave credit to news outlets for spreading word about the closure.

"We couldn't have done this without the cooperation of this city," Villaraigosa said.

Crews finished demolition work on the bridge at about 7 a.m., toppling two massive pillars.

Another closure will be required in about 11 months to demolish the north side. Officials said they were hopeful that the future shutdown would run just as smoothly as this one.

 

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Souce: AP