Ramp delay, closure and more on 405

Ramp closures, like the one signaled above during Carmageddon, are coming to Wilshire in May.

Activity’s buzzing all over the 405 Project these days, but work on one of the biggest—and potentially most traffic-confounding—near-term endeavors has been put off till May.

Work on the much-anticipated “flyover” ramps at Wilshire Boulevard, originally scheduled to start last year and then postponed until March, has been delayed again because of slower-than-expected progress in relocating a federal government utility line along Sepulveda Boulevard.

The westbound Wilshire on-ramp to the northbound 405 and the northbound 405 off-ramp to westbound Wilshire will need to be completely closed for 90 straight days so that workers can demolish and rebuild the ramps. The operation will later be repeated on six other ramps, with varying closure times anticipated. Kasey Shuda, acting community relations manager for the project, said the delay in getting started is not expected to affect the overall project timetable.

The prospect of long-running ramp closures at one of the busiest intersections in the nation has sparked concerns among those who live and work in the area. In the aftermath of Carmageddon, the upcoming work was dubbed “The Rampture” in the blogosphere, with many predicting far worse disruption than last July’s freeway shutdown because the ramps would be closed so long.

The organization FAST (Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic) has suggested that offering free fares on Metro rapid bus line 761 would not only help alleviate jams but also could help turn some automobile drivers into bus commuters over the long term.

UCLA also has called on public transit agencies to offer reduced or free fares in the area while the ramp work is underway. In addition, the university is requesting extra traffic control officers along detour routes and other roadways likely to get heavy use during the closure.

Shuda said those ideas and others are now under discussion.

This week, meanwhile, brings the full closure of the northbound 405 between Getty Center Drive and the 101 Freeway for two consecutive nights so that the Mulholland Bridge can be shored up with a massive center supporting column. Details on the night closures taking place on Wednesday Feb. 1 and Thursday, Feb. 2, are here.

The column and other temporary supports will remain in place as the bridge’s south side is reconstructed. Then, sometime this summer, the north side of the bridge will be demolished in “Carmageddon II.” Specifics, including the date, have not yet been set.

For a closer look at what will be happening in all three of the project’s segments over the next 30 days, click here.

When completed in 2013, the project will add a 10-mile northbound carpool lane to the 405 along with other improvements.

Posted 2/1/12