Travelers gearing up for their commutes through Sepulveda Pass next week should brace for overnight lane closures on the 405 Freeway—the well-trodden vein of concrete seen as both a symbol of LA's breadth and its traffic woes. According to Caltrans, significant repair and improvement work is set to take place, kicking off a series of disruptions slated to affect several lanes.
Beginning Monday, Dec. 1, lane closures will spring into effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and are expected to persist through Friday, Dec. 5, NBC Los Angeles reports. The first round strikes northbound travelers with up to two lanes shuttered from Wilshire Boulevard to Skirball Center Drive/Mulholland Drive and southbound voyagers facing a similar fate between Skirball Center Drive/Mulholland Center Drive and Wilshire Boulevard.
The following two weekends will see intensified disruptions. A particularly congested period will ensue from Dec. 12 through Dec. 15, with lanes being reduced to three in both directions from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. This includes the closure of the Getty Center Drive/Sepulveda Boulevard offramp and the Skirball Center Drive/Mulholland Drive on-ramp for travelers moving southbound, according to a Caltrans announcement.
For those attempting to navigate this stretch of freeway, Caltrans has suggested alternative routes: north on Sepulveda Boulevard and then east/north on Skirball Center Drive to access northbound I-405, or south on Sepulveda Boulevard to board southbound I-405 at Getty Center Drive. Prepare to allow some extra cushion time to arrive at UCLA, Santa Monica, and the LAX areas, as the LAX Flyaway service is expected to be impacted by these closures.
This rigorous schedule of closures is a part of the $143.7 million I-405 Pavement Rehabilitation Project meticulously planned between Van Nuys and Westwood. The project, which is set to extend into early 2026, aims to fortify the arteries of transportation with improved safety and mobility. Caltrans stresses the importance of these lane reductions to ensure the safety of crews as they pave forth on this extensive project. "Be Work Zone Alert" and "Slow for the Cone Zone," serve as a mantra for drivers during this period of transformation.
