A 405 Improvement Project will shut down the infamous-clogged freeway in Orange County near Seal Beach Boulevard. OC officials say the expansion will ease congestion where the 405, 605 and 22 freeways meet -- a convergence that locals call the Bermuda Triangle of traffic. Vikki Vargas reports from Seal Beach for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Sept. 4, 2012.
Carmageddon Babies: Expectant Couples Thankful for Freeway Closure
Michelle and Bejean Souferian had been trying for years to have a baby. Then came Carmageddon. Now they and other couples who conceived after staying home in July 2011 -- when the 405 Freeway was shutdown -- are speculating about a Carmageddon-induced baby boom in the Los Angeles area. Doctors at Cedars Sinai Medical Center say prenatal classes are more full than normal, but Supervisor Zev Yaroslavksy is skeptical. Robert Kovacik reports.
The second phase of the Sepulveda Pass Improvement Project is not set to begin until late September, but officials are worried drivers will not heed warnings to stay away from the 405 Freeway because Carmageddon 1 went off without a hitch. The upcoming phase will close the 405 Freeway in both directions from the 101 Freeway to the 10 Freeway for 53 hours to allow for the completion of the Mulholland Bridge. Angie Crouch reports from the Sepulveda Pass for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on August 2, 2012.
Orange County commuters call it the Bermuda Triangle, a place where three freeways connect and the ability to escape the gridlock, they say, seems to disappear.
A $277 million project plans to make the junction where the San Diego (405) and San Gabriel River (605) freeways meet State Route 22 an easier drive.
"It will minimize the need for carpool users to go across several lanes of traffic, making it smoother for the 300,000 cars that use this freeway every day," Laura Scheper of the Orange County Transportation Authority said.
The eastbound SR-22 and the southbound 405 connector have been closed since Aug. 26, and will remain that way through at least Sept. 9.
By mid-September, commuters will have to endure a weekend-long detour from the northbound 405 to the northbound 605 freeways.
The northbound 405 and northbound 605 connectors will be closed for 55 hours from Sept. 7 – 10 and again from Sept. 14 – 17. The closures will last from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.
OC transit officials recommend the following detours:
Take the Seal Beach Boulevard exit and turn right, proceed north on Seal Beach Boulevard / Los Alamitos Boulevard then turn left on Katella Avenue to access the northbound I-605 freeway on-ramp
Take the Palo Verde Avenue exit and turn right, proceed north on Palo Verde Avenue then turn right on Willow Street to access the northbound I-605 freeway on-ramp
A yearlong closure is set to start in September – the start and end dates have not yet been announced – for the eastbound SR-22 and northbound 405 connector.
NOTE: An earlier version of this article had the incorrect ending time for the closures. The freeways reopen 5 a.m. Monday.
