The 405 Freeway in West Los Angeles was briefly shut down Thursday after authorities investigated a suspicious package found on the roadway. Lanes were blocked near Sunset Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard during a bomb squad response, choking off midday traffic on one of the city's busiest corridors. Northbound lanes were cleared and reopened around 2 p.m., although backups did not disappear right away.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the package was discovered on the freeway at about 11:30 a.m., and authorities closed the roadway in both directions near Sunset Boulevard for the initial investigation. The outlet reported that bomb technicians examined the item before northbound lanes reopened around 2 p.m.
Bomb Squad Response Explained
Bomb squads typically assess suspicious items from a safe distance, using tools like robots and X-rays to avoid handling packages directly. The LAPD notes that evacuations, staged perimeters and temporary road closures are standard until technicians can determine whether an item is hazardous. Those precautions are meant to protect the public, but they also leave major traffic arteries at a standstill while teams methodically clear the scene.
How This Affects Your Commute
Closures on the 405 tend to ripple across the Westside and beyond, creating heavy backups on parallel streets and alternate freeways. Past incidents, including shootings and ordnance discoveries, have forced hours-long shutdowns that snarled commutes. A military ordnance discovery in April briefly closed lanes on the 405 in Inglewood, according to ABC7. Hoodline has tracked earlier shutdowns that produced long delays on the corridor, including a recent shooting investigation that shut the freeway for hours.
Authorities did not immediately release details about the package, NBC Los Angeles reported. This story will be updated if officials provide more information.
