First wave of 405 closures begin Friday, ‘Jamzilla’ next weekend

Transportation officials are warning the public about a series of closures on the northbound 405 Freeway that will begin Friday night, continue throughout the weekend and culminate in what officials are dubbing “Jamzilla” over the Presidents Day holiday.

Full closures on the northbound 405 will stretch from Wilshire Boulevard to Moraga Drive on Friday and Saturday nights, and run from Moraga Drive to Getty Center Drive Sunday night. Lanes will begin to close between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. each night. Affected ramps will be closed as early as 7 p.m. The full closures will last around five hours each evening, with lanes reopening between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. the following mornings.

In a statement, Metro officials said the closures are necessary to “facilitate realignment of lanes and to accommodate work at the freeway median for roadway widening.”

Then, over Presidents Day weekend, an 80-hour closure on the northbound 405 Freeway will occur during daytime and evening hours.

An approximately 5.6-mile stretch of the freeway between Getty Center Drive and Ventura Boulevard will be closed between Feb. 14 and Feb. 18.

Two northbound lanes will remain open during daytime hours, Metro said in its statement. But during nighttime hours, all five northbound freeway lanes will be closed. The full nighttime closures will occur as early as midnight and continue until as late as 7 a.m.

Sepulveda Boulevard will remain “at full capacity” during the closure, Metro said. Southbound lanes will remain open during daytime hours, but normal closures may occur during nighttime hours, its statement said.

This segment of affected freeway equals about two-thirds of the length of the entire Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project, which caused lengthy closures in previous years. The closure is necessary to facilitate excavating and repaving, officials said.

Metro officials are warning drivers about the “possibility of major traffic delays” and asking drivers to eliminate unnecessary car trips, avoid the area or divert to other freeways.

Thursday, Los Angeles World Airports also issued an advisory asking travelers to “plan ahead” for their Presidents Day weekend.

LAX is expecting a daily average of 65,000 vehicles to come to the airport that weekend, a statement said.

“Airport officials do not anticipate impacts to travelers coming to the airport for departing flights, or to airport employees reporting for work,” the statement said. “However, passengers, motorists, and employees leaving LAX and driving northbound I-405 … should expect major traffic congestion and possibly multi-hour delays – especially during daily peak traffic periods.”

Twitter: @MattStevensLAT

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