Blog: 405 Now Open

Throughout "Carmageddon," Patch posted the following updates on the  closing of the 405 Freeway and how Los Angeles residents were adapting to it:

Sunday, July 17

3:05 p.m. - With the entire 405 freeway scheduled to be opened at 3 p.m., Carmageddon is officially over. Mayor Villaraigosa credited the cooperation of Los Angeles residents for helping open up the freeway 16 hours ahead of schedule. Read the full story.

2:51 p.m. - Our final story to put a cap on our coverage is coming soon. Thank you for following along with us all weekend!

2:43 p.m. - In his press conference today, Mayor Villaraigosa said the contractors would get a bonus of $300,000 for finishing early. But transportation officials previously told the L.A. Times that there would be no bonuses paid. Read the full story here.

2:03 p.m - Encino Patch editor Lauren Rosenblum detailed what life was like at the heart of the 405 closure this morning. Click for the full story and photos.

1:33 p.m. - Here's at least one sign that the 405 freeway shutdown helped the local economy by forcing people to stay in their own neighborhoods: The Hollywood Reporter says that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 continued to rake in ticket sales on Friday and Saturday night. What's surprising is that theaters closer to the 405 actually did better this weekend than theaters that were further away.

1:22 p.m. - Congratulations, Los Angeles! With the 405 freeway having been open for two hours now, it seems that the city has survived Carmageddon. Throughout the weekend, the only disturbances most people and the L.A. Police Department encountered were the occasional brave souls who attempted to get on the empty 405. The Beverly Hills Courier gave a short wrap up of the attempts people made this morning before the shutdown was lifted.

11:29 a.m. - A parade of motorcycles, cars and trucks representing several of the agencies involved in the 405 closure just drove southbound on the 405 and under the Mulholland bridge. The freeway is reopening.

11:22 a.m. - CHP is doing a final security check of the freeway.

11:17 a.m. - Starting at 11:30, the 405 Freeway will reopen first, followed by the connectors to Highway 101 and I-10, then the off-ramps and, finally, the on-ramps. Get all that?

11:10 a.m. - Villaraigosa says the contractor overseeing the Mulholland bridge project will receive a $300,000 bonus for finishing ahead of schedule. The City of L.A. will save $400,000 on services no longer needed.

11:02 a.m. - L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky says two-thirds of L.A. residents were not in their cars this weekend.

10:56 a.m. - Villaraigosa says the 405 will reopen at 11:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m. - Patch is at Mayor Villaraigosa's press conference at the Mulholland bridge. Everyone wants to know: When will the freeway reopen?

8:45 a.m. - Joyous, exasperated reactions in the Twitterverse to the news of an early reopening of the 405: 

@malibugrooming: Wohoooo ! Woof! #Carmageddonwill be over after 11am and 3!!

@MiiikeyD: 405 due to open in about 4 hours 11am... So much for #carmageddon

@HelicopterKen: Wow!!! RT @KFIAM640: Ahead of schedule, crews begin phased reopening of 405 at 11AM today. Freeway fully reopened around 3pm. #carmageddon

8:20 a.m. - Breaking news: Carmageddon projected to end far ahead of original deadline. 

8:02 a.m. - The end is officially in sight—the 405 Freeway is expected to be fully open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Caltrans district supervisor Michael Miles tells Patch. This is well in advance of the original deadline of 5 a.m. on Monday. Workers are cleaning up the site and inspectors are ensuring that the bridge is safe for traffic.   

7:47 a.m. - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be making an announcement at 11 a.m. at the demolition site. The update has been moved from its original update time of 5 p.m.

7:08 a.m. - Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, the originator of the term "Carmageddon," has predicted an early end to the closure. He wrote in his blog yesterday that he spent time at Mulholland Bridge and watched the progress firsthand. 

The consensus is that the contractor will beat by a considerable amount of time the 5:00 a.m. Monday deadline for the freeway’s reopening. Things can still go wrong; this is a complicated and difficult job. But the pace is promising. 

6:33 a.m. - LAPD is hopeful for an early opening to the freeway, says spokeswoman Mitzi Fierro. We're expecting to hear a more concrete time before the morning is out. 

6:25 a.m. - This just in—a much-earlier end to Carmageddon? The 405 Freeway could possibly be open later this afternoon, an LAPD spokeswoman tells Patch. 

6:00 a.m. - Good morning! Patch coverage of the second full day of the 405 closure starts now. Stay with us. 

Saturday, July 16

11:14 p.m. - The Emergency Operations Center staff is kicking us out of here for tonight, but keep checking back with us for updates of everything you need to know about the 405 closure!

11:08 p.m. - As construction crews work on the Mulholland Bridge throughout the night, they'll have to contend with one sensitive aspect of the demolition project—a gas line that runs through the bridge.

Read the full story by the L.A. Times here.

10:42 p.m. - Chatsworth Patch editor Saul Daniels says some citizens of Los Angeles are using social media to fight back against the ever-present news helicopters hovering above their houses this weekend. Here's a Facebook group dedicated to just that.

10:24 p.m. - An LAPD official said while plenty of focus has been on the demolition of the northbound side of the Mulholland Bridge, the safety inspection after the main work is done will be just as critical to the success of the project.

Inspectors will have to make sure that no chunks of concrete or rebar are hanging off the bridge after the deconstruction is done. Anything falling onto the 405 Freeway below would be dangerous for drivers there.

The official said the inspection is likely to take several hours to ensure safety.

10:13 p.m. - In the continuing police chase across several Southern California freeways, including the 5, the 10, the 101 and the 60, the suspect may have actually been helped along by people staying off the roads—there's no one in the way to slow him down. According to the L.A. Times, the chase started at 8 p.m. with the suspect speeding along consistently without much trouble. We'll keep you updated on the chase as it progresses.

9:47 p.m. - LAPD officers also said they've noticed through Twitter and social media a lot of people "planking" on the empty freeway. If you don't know what planking is, here's an example.

9:43 p.m. - Just got an update from the LAPD and CHP officials at the Emergency Operations Center on arrests on the 405 today. The tally so far has been eight cyclists arrested, the last at 3 p.m. today. Seven others were cited for various violations, which the officers here would not elaborate on.

9:19 p.m. - Calabasas Patch editor Arin Mikailian and contributor Reza Gostar reported on the effects of the 405 closure on traffic in Malibu. Read the full story and take a look at the slideshow they put together .

9:12 p.m. - The Los Angeles Times combined before and after photos of the Mulholland Bridge to give you this interactive look at the construction project.

8:58 p.m. - Taiwanese news-animators NMA have become famous for their cartoon-treatments of news events like Sarah Palin's (potential) run for president and the Tiger Woods sex-scandal. Apparently, NMA couldn't resist letting their digital artists on Carmageddon, too. See their take on the 405 closure here. 

8:31 p.m. - PCMag.com has some advice for people looking to avoid any traffic hangups this weekend as a result of the 405 closure. Because Friday and today have seen mostly free-moving traffic, or no traffic, along freeways and surface streets all over Los Angeles, this advice might be best used for the re-opening of the 405 scheduled for Monday morning.

8:23 p.m. - Metro says subway ridership is up 10-15 percent today.

8:05 p.m. - Police were pursuing a suspected drunk driver in his car as he drove on the northbound 101 Freeway. The LAPD was concered that the driver would try to take the 405 Freeway. However, the suspect had apparently heard of this so-called Carmageddon and continued on the 101.

7:50 p.m. - Today, while cyclists were racing airliners, reggae bands were playing on the freeway, and nearly everyone in Los Angeles was trying to avoid the 405 altogether, construction crews have been working to tear down the Mulholland Bridge.

For most of the day, crews used the massive hoe rams (basically cranes with giant hammers attached to them) to take down the top of the freeway. Saws and jackhammers were used to remove the steel girders on the bridge as well.

Once they were done taking down the top of the freeway workers began using wheel saws to being taking down the bent caps, the cement slabs that sit on top of the columns holding the bridge up.

Metro spokeswoman Kasey Shuda said sawing through the bent caps would take about eight hours.

Shuda said the project was on schedule even though one of the hoe rams being used earlier today broke down. A replacement ram was quickly brought in so crews could continue their work. 

7:35 p.m. - Amanda from Pacific Palisades took more photos today of what people are up to around the city. Check out her slideshow .

7:27 p.m. - LAWeekly got a headstart on the Hollywood screenplays sure to come out after this weekend's not-so-aptly named Carmageddon. Read a few scenes from the disaster movie here.

7:18 p.m. - The L.A. Galaxy is playing Real Madrid tonight and KTLA was out talking to fans who arrived hours early to beat the traffic. Check out the video on Huffington Post's live blog here.

6:52 p.m. - Pacific Palisades Patch editor Amanda Salem is providing coverage for Brentwood, and gave us an update on traffic there: barely anyone on the road, she says. Sunset and Barrington boulevards, and Church Lane are all empty. The only traffic is of the foot variety - lots of people haning out on the Sunset Bridge taking pictures of the abandoned 405 Freeway.

6:30 p.m. - Celebrities hate traffic too! Plenty of stars have weighed in via Twitter today, and E!Online dedicated this post to them. Here's some of the best examples:

Kevin Smith, @ThatKevinSmith: LOS ANGELES! The end is nigh! #Carmageddon is upon us! On Sat/Sunday, avoid the 405 Btw the 10 and 101 like you'd avoid a Kevin Smith film!

Aziz Ansari, @azizansari: Carmaggedeon was originally going to be called Pearl Carbor. #TheresMyCarmaggedeonJoke #IFeelGross

6:14 p.m. - Guest editor for Beverly Hills Patch Laurie Lande says tourists seem to have not been scared away by Carmageddon:

Traffic on the major intersections of Beverly Hills [Wilshire and La Cienega boulevards, Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Drive] is slightly lighter than usual as of midday Saturday.

Carmegeddon surprisingly did not appear to keep tourists away. On the shopping streets of Rodeo Drive and North Beverly Drive, tourist traffic appeared normal for a July afternoon.

5:39 p.m. - Taylor Hampshire, a friend of Encino Patch editor Lauren Rosenblum, prepared for the worst when she learned the 405 shutdown would land on the same day of her arrival at LAX from Chicago.

Hampshire kept Patch updated during her trip. Read her recap of it .

5:31 p.m. - More celebrity Carmageddon Tweets, this time from Rob Lowe:

@RobLowe: Survived #carmageddon It was the Y2K of commuting. Let's shut the 405 freeway forever!!

5:19 p.m. - Westwood Patch editor Sara Fay says parts of the city look practically abandoned.

She talked to an employee of Regency Village Theater on Broxton Avenue who said sales have been steady but slower. Surprising, considering this is the opening weekend of the final Harry Potter movie, which brought in droves of fans yesterday.

She also talked to a bus driver who said, despite the free fares for the weekend, ridership has been light. Fay said she saw two buses, completely empty, waiting for passengers on Le Conte Avenue earlier today. A slideshow of an empty Westwood, coming soon.

5:08 p.m. - The traffic may be great, but locals living near the 405 Freeway have been complaining all day about the constant buzz of news helicopters over their homes.

According to a City News Service report, Jill Barad of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council is angry over the increased media presence in the skies above the city.

"I can understand covering the story for the 11 p.m. news, but it's not
breaking news at 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.,'' Barad said.

According to the CNS report:

Barad said she received noise complaints—overnight and before dawn today - from residents who live near the San Diego (405) Freeway.

"This is clearly an unanticipated consequence nobody thought about amidst all the concern about traffic congestion.''

5:02 p.m. - Check out some of Chatsworth Patch editor Saul Daniels' photos of the 405 devoid of cars and up-close shots of the construction, as well as at least one enterprising local who made it onto the freeway. Click for the full slideshow.

4:58 p.m. - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa observed the ongoing construction at the Mulholland Bridge as well as the "shockingly empty," streets all over Los Angeles today during a helicopter flyover.

Villaraigosa's helicopter flew over downtown L.A., Wilshire, La Cienega, Sepulveda and Santa Monica Boulevards, with the mayor and others in the aircraft noting how few cars were populating the streets, according to a release from the mayor's office.

"We had hoped this would happen, that people would answer the call and stay out of their cars," Villaraigosa said.

"People have answered the call. They have stepped up to the plate in recognizing that the best way to do this is to stay out of their cars."
Even though he was pleased with the response from drivers, the mayor made sure to acknowledge the remaining work to be done this weekend.

"We're not going to gloat yet."

3:52 p.m. - Mayor Villaraigosa wants to send a message to anyone who might think Carmageddon is over.

"We still have 36 hours to go. So if everyone after looking at your news stations or hearing on the radio...thinks that 'Oh, well now it's OK to go in my car,' that's the wrong message," Villaraigosa said during a press conference at the Emergency Operations Center in downtown Los Angeles.

"What we want to emphasize to people is that it's working. It's working because they're cooperating, they're staying away from the Westside, they're staying off the freeways."

Click here for the full recap of the mayor's press conference is coming soon. 

2:52 p.m. - Whether taking a whack at Los Angeles or wanting to be in the loop, folks around the country have been weighing in on Carmageddon all day: 

@mr_sj_stanczak: OMG, you California peeps are so wimpy w/ #Carmageddon. It's 2.5 days on the wkend. Unless it's an organ transplant, relax.

@BlackNerd Andre Black Nerd: This #Carmageddon thing is weird... now people in L.A. are complaining that there's NO traffic! WHEN WILL YOU BE PLEASED???

@AmandaArlauskas (Amanda Arlauskas, finalist on "The Biggest Loser"): Someone explain to this Jersey girl what this #Carmageddon in LA is all about?!

2:36 p.m. - Two cyclists cited about 20 minutes ago for riding southbound on the 405 near Wilshire Boulevard, says CHP Officer Charmaine Fajardo. The bikes have been impounded. 

2:33 p.m. - Coyotes spotted crossing Ventura Boulevard by Studio City residents, says Patch local editor i—taking advantage of fewer cars on the road? 

2:26 p.m. - Brentwood Patch contributor is hearing a lot of complaints about noise from the done of helicopters—it sounds like a police action or a war zone, residents say. 

2:23 p.m. - Learned the jogger arrested on the 405 around 10 a.m. with a warrant for being a public menace was a 74-year-old man. 

2:18 p.m. - The Rockin' Truck Grub food truck event today at Malibu Bluffs Park has seen smaller crowds than expected with Carmageddon underway, reports Malibu interim local Patch editor

Gostar also says county sheriff's deputies stationed along the Pacific Coast Highway are being called back to their normal duties—traffic is normal, said a deputy on scene, who is normally stationed in Palmdale. 

2:06 p.m. - NBC Los Angeles pools Carmageddon humor from the web. 

1:56 p.m. - Check out Patch's  between Wolfgang Hustler cycling team and Jet Blue—the cyclists emerged as the victors. San Fernando Valley local editor Anna King also captured a . 

12:11 p.m. - CHP Officer Charmaine Fajardo now says six to eight cyclists were shooed off the freeway earlier this morning. One jogger was detained around 10 a.m. and then arrested because he had an outstanding warrant for being a "public menace."

11:50 a.m. - Sepulveda Boulevard near Westside Culver City was clear as of 10 a.m. this morning, reports Culver City Patch editor The area of Sepulveda between Centinela Avenue and Venice Boulevard will be the biggest focus for traffic officers. 

If you're near Culver City and want local fun, Culver City Lions Carnival at Westfield Culver City will last until 10 p.m. today. The carnival will also run Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

11:22 a.m. - Metro says that its lots at North Hollywood and Universal are full. Riders should take the Orange Line from Van Nuys to the Red Line to get to Hollywood.  

11:12 a.m. - Update: Police detained a pedestrian at a Sepulveda Boulevard on-ramp around 10 a.m., then arrested because he had a warrant, says California Highway Patrol officer Charmaine Fajardo. A cyclist was escorted off the freeway, she said.  

She emphasized that from here on out, any members of the public found on the freeway will be arrested. 

11:09 a.m. - Live stream of the race between Wolfgang Hustler and Jet Blue, from the back of racer John Gabriel's bicycle. 

11:02 a.m. - Attention soccer fans: If you're interested in public transportation to tonight's game between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Madrid, check out these options from Metro. 

10:57 a.m. - Race between Wolfpack Hustle and Jet Blue underway from North Hollywood - coverage coming from Patch. Tweet from the Los Angeles Times' Phil Willon about 10 minutes ago:  

Wolfpack Hustle, the bicyclists racing a special #Carmageddon JetBlue flight from Burbank-Long Beach are powering up on donuts & bananas

10:43 a.m. - Cyclist and jogger found on freeway around 10 a.m.. Cyclist was arrested. [Updated at 11:38 a.m.] No cyclists arrested, CHP now reporting. More details soon. 

10:26 a.m. - Digital LA tweets: 

#Carmageddon = Carma-heaven, Carmagedd-yawn, Autotopia. LA's freeways still green except for 405 part w construction

The site posted this image of the clear lanes of freeways all over Los Angeles, too.

10:13 a.m. - Caltrans district director Michael Miles said construction on Mulholland Bridge is going along exactly as planned. He joked that pieces of the bridge will be for sale in the Caltrans parking lot.

Main instances of 405 Freeway shenanigans so far, besides the Culver City cyclists: a skateboarder and a jogger who were both found on parts of the 405 that were not closed between 4 and 5 a.m. The jogger was wearing a helmet with a camera attached to it, Miles said. 

"People are going out and are pushing the limits, but the law enforcement is out in full force and will not be tolerating stunts," Miles said. 

8:34 a.m. - Tweet from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: 

Together, we’re putting people back to work, bldg a 21st Century transportation network w/increased carpool lanes, bike paths & rail lines.

8:26 a.m. - But, on that note, Unified Command "asks that the public not get complacent. 'There's a long weekend ahead of us.' "

8:22 a.m. - The Unified Command Center: "Great job Los Angeles."

8:16 a.m. - Even more Carmageddon driving tips, from Edmunds.com. Meanwhile, officials are continuing to ask people to stay out of cars today and use public transportation. Catch a free ride on Metro's Red/Purple subway lines, Metro Orange line and 26 bus lines. 

8:10 a.m. - Want apps for navigating Carmageddon? Here are suggestions from NBC Los Angeles. 

7:45 a.m. - No congestion or traffic delays on surface streets whatsoever at this time, says Luz Echavarria, public information officer for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, She says the main concern right now is the soccer match at 7 p.m. between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Madrid—about 60,000 people are expected to attend. Emergency response teams also answered six calls since the closure without any hold-ups. 

7:42 a.m. - Check out photos of Carmageddon from the Los Angeles Times. 

7:28 a.m. - Bikes racing planes? Starting at 10:50 a.m., the racing team Wolfpack Hustle will race Bike Commute News writer Joe Anthony on his $4 Jet Blue flight. The race starts at Cahuenga and Chandler Boulevard in North Hollywood. The finish line is Shoreline Aquatic Park in Long Beach. 

7:24 a.m. - Traffic maps around the closure area may be all green right now, but that shouldn't be a signal to hop on the freeway, said Captain Alicia Mathis of Mar Vista's Fire Station 62. "We're a little concerned today...everyone will have this idea and it will start turning into congestion," she said. 

6:47 a.m. - No bumps for Carmageddon so far. Twitterverse reacts:

@Tatum_Oneal: Sure glad I got up four hours early for my flight - there is not a car on the road #carmageddon?

Pokes at media coverage, too:

@tukiness: So far #Carmageddon = noisy helicopters hovering morning until night

6:30 a.m. - Tweet from Metro: "Freeway was successfully closed without incident." Also, the freeway surface under Mulholland Bridge has now received a protective layer of dirt.  

6:00 a.m. - Back with you for the first full day of Carmageddon coverage! Late last night, members of the group of 150 cyclists from Century City came up to Mulholland Bridge, glanced over the edge to the sight of California Highway Patrol officers and decided to "go bike somewhere else," said Commander Andrew Smith of the incident command team. LAPD beefed up its response and sent 48 extra officers to monitor the situation, but no arrests were made. All quiet out there right now, Smith says.  

1:16 a.m. - Tucking in the blog for the night. We'll be back in a few hours to catch Los Angeles residents waking to a city without access to a major highway. It should be an interesting day.

12:59 a.m. - Can't sleep? Craving some mindless late-night entertainment? L.A. Metro has a live video feed of the construction at the Mulholland Bridge site. Listen carefully and you might hear the authorities chasing away trespassers. Just heard: "You! In the white shirt! Back over the fence! Yes, you!" Who knew video of a construction project could be so engaging?

12:50 a.m. - Sara said the Century City area is a "ghost town" with the occasional LAPD cruiser but no cyclists.

12:40 a.m. - Josh has left the building and is pursuing the group of cyclists reportedly gathered in Century City. , the Patch Editor for Westwood-Century City, is there, too.

12:22 a.m. - They're kicking us out of the Emergency Operations Center tonight, but we'll be back with more updates of any breaking news regarding the closure. And be sure to check in with us tomorrow for more Carmageddon coverage!

12:11 a.m. - The LAPD is still monitoring a group of about 150 cyclists amassing near Century Park and Constellation Blvd.

12:05 a.m. - The southbound 405 from the 101 Freeway to Getty Center Drive and the northbound from the 10 freeway to the 101 are closed. The 405 closure is complete. Good luck, Los Angeles.

Friday, July 15

11:59 p.m. - Full closure should be happening...now, says a city spokesman at the Emergency Operations Center.

11:52 p.m. - With the complete shutdown of the 405 getting closer, here's some Metro-provided pictures of the lingering traffic and a few of the tools they'll use to take down the Mulholland Bridge.

11:36 p.m. - Just one arrest reported tonight in the LAPD's affected area around the 405—a drunk driver at Woodley Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard. The man stopped his car after seeing police then tried to get away on foot. No word if the driver sensed any irony at being arrested in front of the Anheuser-Busch Co. brewery right across the street.

11:32 p.m. - All of the entrances to the 405 are closed. The LAPD is now gradually closing down each lane until the freeway is completely shut down and all of the traffic still on it has passed. They're also saying that the closure is ahead of schedule.

11:14 p.m. - An LAPD officer says that a group of about 150 cyclists are gathering near the intersection of Century Park and Constellation Blvd. While they haven't done anything to warrant arrest, he said, the police are keeping an eye on them in case they make a run at any of the now closed on-ramps.

11:06 p.m. - Hollywood Patch contributor Sharareh Drury reports on the concerns, or lack thereof, among locals about getting around the Westside this weekend. Read the full story .

10:47 p.m. - Metro just announced more closures. All of the northbound 405 Freeway on-ramps have been shut down. 

10:30 p.m. - Locals are reveling in what some are calling their easiest Friday commutes ever. Plenty of drivers are taking to Twitter with their joyous traffic tales:

"@HarrisonEsquire: Just got to LAX from the Valley in record time! Guess all the 405 #carmageddon media hype paid off. Thanks media & all those not driving"

"@jpepper: After counting the cars on Wilshire, everyday should be #carmageddon. Totally empty. Woohoo!!"

"@catherinemay: #carmageddon weeded out all the weaklings. Empty road is bringing us to WeHo in record time."

10:19 p.m. - Closures keep rolling along. The connector between the northbound 101 freeway and the southbound 405 has been shutdown.

10:14 p.m. - Metro announces that the Mulholland Bridge is closed. See you again in 53 hours.

10:07 p.m. - The 405 closure may have inspired traffic snarl fears for some, but for videographer Ross Ching, it inspired an image of L.A. devoid of cars. See the time-lapse video here.

9:43 p.m. - Think you can beat a jetliner in a race from Burbank to Long Beach? On a bike? One member of Wolfpack Hustle, an L.A. based cycling group, thinks he can. Check out LA.StreetsBlog for the full story.

9:27 p.m. - Check out our video (in the box at the right) on the Emergency Operations Center in downtown Los Angeles, where public safety personnel are closely monitoring the city during the 405 closure.

9:10 p.m. - Studio City Patch editor Mike Szymanski tells us that a friend of his who is attending the Sarah McLachlan concert at the Hollywood Bowl said attendance and ridership for shuttles to the venue is half of what is typical.

8:56 p.m. - Former University of Southern California head football coach and current coach of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks Pete Carroll just tweeted about the light traffic:

"@PeteCarroll: The 405 is awesome right now, travel is at an all time best! Just drove it to see how it was... Think I need football?"

8:46 p.m. - Caltrans just announced that because of the light traffic, lane closures on the 405 will begin an hour earlier than scheduled.

The official I-405 Twitter also tweeted about the ahead-of-schedule closures:

"@I_405: Due to light traffic, the southbound I-405 HOV and #1 lane near the 101 freeway will close at 9 pm, one hour earlier than planned"

8:42 p.m. - Metro tweets that trains around Los Angeles are not experiencing an unusual amount of traffic because of the closure:

"@Metrolosangeles: Note that East-West buses running on time. No issues for Metro Rapid 761. Trains running slightly lighter than normal loads. #405Official"

8:33 p.m. - Both the eastbound and northbound on-ramps for Wilshire Boulevard are now closed.

7 p.m. - Closures of on-ramps to the 405 Freeway have begun. On the northbound side, ramps at Skirball Center Drive and Getty Center Drive are closed, and on the southbound side, Ventura Boulevard and Valley Vista Boulevard are shut down.

5:50 p.m. - For months, transit officials hoped to get out the message to commuters that the 405 Freeway was shutting down at 7 p.m.

Just over an hour before the first on-ramps are to be closed, commuters are sending a message back—we're staying off the roads. At 5:50, online traffic maps displayed on a big screen in the press room here at the downtown Unified Command Center showed the 405 turning green from LAX to Encino, meaning traffic was flowing without delay.

Before the shutdown, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles public safety and transit officials gave one last message of reassurance and encouragement to Los Angeles residents. . Video and photos coming soon.

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