Major work coming in Sherman Oaks

Upcoming work on the Sepulveda overpass will bring big changes to traffic in the area.

The 405 Freeway’s makeover is about to take another step forward with the widening and retrofitting of the Sepulveda Boulevard overpass in Sherman Oaks. To get the work done, the area surrounding the overpass will undergo about a year’s worth of traffic reconfiguration, beginning in early May.

For about a year, left turns from Fiume Walk and the Southbound Valley Vista off-ramp onto northbound Sepulveda will be restricted, and left turns from northbound Sepulveda onto Fiume Walk will also be restricted. Additionally, the left turn pocket onto the southbound Valley Vista on-ramp will be shortened and Sepulveda will go to two lanes in each direction near the overpass.

Meanwhile, two crosswalks will be eliminated—the crosswalk across Sepulveda at Fiume Walk and the crosswalk across Fiume which, along with sidewalk on the west side of Sepulveda, will close three months after the start of construction.

During construction, workers will perform the noisiest work during the day. Some ramps and lanes will occasionally be closed completely during off-peak hours, and Sepulveda itself will be closed during late night hours to accommodate certain building activities.

When it’s completed, the 405 project will expand capacity on one of the most heavily traveled, congested freeways in the country by adding a 10-mile northbound carpool lane, widening existing ramps and bridges, and improving the supporting infrastructure. It’s expected to be finished in 2013. Keep up with the progress on Metro’s project page and the 405 Report.

Posted 4/27/12