Three of the five lanes on the northbound 405 Freeway will close for repaving during Presidents Day weekend as part of a construction project officials have dubbed “Jamzilla.”
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is going to close lanes on the freeway’s Sepulvada Pass for 80 hours Feb. 14-18 to pave a new high-occupancy vehicle lane. The closure will cause multi-hour congestion for commuters and travelers, said Dave Sotero, spokesman for Metro.
Metro named the lane closure “Jamzilla” because of the project’s potentially monstrous effect, Sotero said.
Maria Quijada, a third-year physiological science student who takes the I-405 to and from UCLA and her work at UCLA Transportation and Parking, said the closures are going to force her to leave her house before dawn.
“I work on the weekends and there is heavy traffic already. Sometimes I have to be here at 5:30 in the morning,” Quijada said.
Quijada leaves two hours in advance to arrive at school on time from her home in the San Fernando Valley, but now she has to make plans to leave earlier, Quijada said.
Sotero said that Metro is asking the public to eliminate auto trips or try to divert to other freeways if they have to drive.
“Most people using the freeway during the day will be affected if they don’t plan ahead,” Sotero said.
Sotero said that the Presidents Day weekend conditions could become very severe on the freeway and that Metro is asking for the same public cooperation it has received during past closures.
Compiled by Julia Raven, Bruin contributor.