405 Freeway Traffic Blog

405 LA Freeway News Blog ...

> Cypress motorcyclist killed in 405 Freeway crash ... Aug 1/09
A Cypress motorcyclist died after a Friday night collision involving two other vehicles on the 405 Freeway in Huntington Beach, the Orange County Coroner's Office said today. Matthew Wekall, 27, was declared dead at 8:32 p.m. at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, after the 7:40 p.m. collision in a southbound freeway lane north of the Magnolia Street exit ... cont...

> Motorists favor better access to carpool lanes, survey finds ... July 27/09
The Orange County Transportation Authority released the results of a survey Monday that found 71 percent of those interviewed by telephone would like to see continuous access on other freeways in the county. Continuous access is only available on the 22 and a portion of the 55 freeways now. The OCTA is now looking at how to pay for such changes on portions of the 55, 405, 57 and 91 freeways. The estimated cost is more than $10 million ... cont...

> Long Beach brushfire briefly shuts down San Diego Freeway ... July 22/09
A brush fire near the San Diego (405) Freeway and Lakewood Boulevard Saturday afternoon might have been set by transients. The fire was put out quickly by the Long Beach Fire Department, but Lakewood Boulevard northbound and southbound freeway ramps were closed temporarily ... cont...

> 2ND+PCH traffic going from bad to curse? ... July 16/09
As part of its continuing philosophical commitment to more and wider freeways, the OCTA is planning to construct gigantic boomeranging carpool lanes between the 405 and 605 freeways. It also has down-the-road plans to widen the 405 by a couple more lanes on each side - that would be 18, total - right up to the Long Beach city limits ... cont...

> Brandy settles fatal 405 crash lawsuit ... July 16/09
Brandy has settled a civil lawsuit with another of the victims involved in a fatal car crash that occurred in Los Angeles in 2006. The crash occurred on the 405 freeway on December 30, 2006 when Brandy lost control of her Land Rover and struck a car driven by Awatef Aboudihaj, 38, who died as a result ... cont...

> Man in Lexus Leads Police on Chase ... July 15/09
A young man led officers on a chase across freeways, surface streets and even dirt roads today before crashing the stolen SUV while trying to go the wrong way on La Cienega Boulevard in Baldwin Hills, police said. The suspect, whose name was not immediately available, bailed out of the Lexus and was arrested after a short foot chase at La Cienega and Stocker Street shortly after 9:30 a.m., said Richard French of the Los Angeles Police Department. A passenger in the SUV also was taken into custody ... cont...

> Crash involving BMW, Avenger, pickup slows 405 freeway traffic ... July 13/09
California Highway Patrol officials are reporting a multi-vehicle traffic collision on the northbound I-405 freeway at Bolsa Chica Road. According to the CHP's Web site, the accident, which occurred at about 9:15 this morning, involved a BMW, a white Dodge Avenger and a pickup. A fire was also reported.... cont...

> Real Estate Developer: "We can't go wrong with this location just off of the 405 Freeway" ... July 10/09
A major Real Estate Developer recognizes the value of being located along the 405 Freeway corridor, saying; "We can't go wrong with this location just off of the 405 Freeway" regarding his recent purchase of a strategic commercial property along the 405 corridor; the South Bay Pavillion... cont...

> 405 and 101 Interchange to Be Expanded ... July 9/09
A project to add an auxiliary lane and widen a ramp at the interchange of the 405 and 101 freeways in Sherman Oaks received $9.65 million in funding from the California Transportation Commission, it was announced Thursday. The project is intended to help alleviate congestion at the notoriously bottlenecked interchange ... cont...

> Sepulveda Boulevard reopened after brush fire ... July 9/09
Authorities Thursday reopened Sepulveda Boulevard and two 405 Freeway ramps that had been shut down shortly after a brush fire erupted near the Getty Center on Wednesday. Freeway offramps for the Getty and the Skirball Center were reopened Thursday afternoon, CHP Officer Jose Nunez said. City traffic officials also reopened Sepulveda Boulevard, which had been closed from Mulholland Drive to Sunset Boulevard... cont...

> Fire near Getty Center 90% contained; Sepulveda Boulevard still closed ... July 9/09
Firefighters continued efforts this morning to stamp out a slow-moving brush fire near the Sepulveda Pass that burned 80 acres and forced evacuations from the Getty Center and Mt. St. Mary's College. The fire was 90% contained this morning. Sepulveda Boulevard remained closed between Mulholland Drive and Sunset Boulevard, said Erik Scott, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. At least two freeway off-ramps; Getty Center Drive and Skirball Center Drive on the northbound 405 Freeway also remained closed.... cont...

> Power Outage Hits West L.A. ... July 8/09
A power outage has hit a section of West Los Angeles tonight... The outage put traffic lights out of commission and caused traffic jams along some of the Westside's already busy thoroughfares. Sepulveda Boulevard, already affected by a brush fire in the Sepulveda Pass this afternoon, appeared to be backed up for miles ... cont...

> Sepulveda Pass fire burns more than 80 acres; jam's traffic on the 405 Freeway ... July 8/09
A stubborn brush fire continued to burn this afternoon in the Sepulveda Pass, forcing the evacuation of the Getty Center and Mount St. Mary's College and jamming traffic on the 405 Freeway .... cont...

> LADOT Releases Michael Jackson Funeral Traffic Plan ... July 7/09
Anticipating huge public demand for Michael Jackson's funeral service the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation has released Michael Jackson's funeral traffic plan. The funeral service starts this morning at 10 AM PST at the Staple's Center in Los Angeles. Due to the memorial event for Michael Jackson on Tuesday, July 07, 2009, LADOT anticipates route closures and substantial delays due to congestion... cont...

> Freeway ramps to close for Michael Jackson events ... July 6/09
The California Department of Transportation will close several freeway ramps in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday to ease traffic congestion during the Michael Jackson memorial event. Two ramps to the 110 Freeway will be closed -- the southbound ramp at Olympic Boulevard and the northbound Pico Boulevard ramp. The 134 Freeway will see closures as well. The eastbound Riverside Drive and Forest Lawn Drive ramp will be closed, as will the westbound Forest Lawn Drive ramp. Officials warn that additional ramps may be closed if needed... cont...

> 7 hurt in multi-car accident on 405 freeway ... July 4/09
The Los Angeles Fire Department says a freeway accident in the San Fernando Valley has injured seven people - five seriously. Firefighter David Ortiz says five to six cars were involved in a crash shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday. The California Highway Patrol says it occurred on the transition road between Interstate 405 and U.S. Highway 101... cont...

> Police talk suicidal teenager down from 405 freeway overpass ... July 1/09
Police talked a suicidal teenager standing on the Edwards Street overpass of the I-405 freeway Tuesday into coming down and getting counseling. The teenager was despondent over a breakup with his girlfriend, and as he left her, said he was going to jump off the overpass, police said... cont...

> Police looking for "joker" wandering in, out of freeway lane ... July 1/09
California Highway Patrol officers were searching for an apparently homeless man wearing a joker's hat who was spotted this morning wandering in and out of the slow lane of the southbound I-405 freeway just south of the I-605 freeway... cont...

> LAPD motorcycle officer crashes on 405 Freeway ... June 30/09
A Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer crashed on the San Diego (405) Freeway this morning and may have been injured, authorities said. The accident was reported at 4:40 a.m. on the San Diego (405) Freeway at Wilshire Boulevard, said California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco Villalobos. The officer was transported to a hospital in unknown condition... cont...

> Driver arrested on suspicion of DUI after I-405 crash ... June 29/09
The California Highway Patrol is investigating a collision involving a box truck and another vehicle in which one of the drivers is suspected of driving under the influence. The CHP responded to a crash at 10:24 a.m. on southbound I-405 just north Fairview Road, where a large truck and white Kia Rio collided... cont...

> I-405 lanes cleared after car crash ... June 26/09
A crash involving at least two cars on the southbound lanes of the 405 freeway in Huntington beach blocked early-morning traffic for at about 30 minutes, authorities said. One person was reported to be bleeding from the head, but injuries did not appear to be major, said California Highway Patrol officer Denise Quesada... cont...

> Hundreds of Fans Head to UCLA to Remember Michael Jackson ... June 25/09
Traffic on the 405 freeway is jammed as well as local streets around the medical center where police are blocking them off. Crowds have also gathered around his Holmby Hills rental estate. As news spread that Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital and later developed into a coma, then ultimately his shocking death, hundreds of fans of the historic popstar poured onto the streets near the hospital in Westwood Village... cont...

> One Killed in Crash on 405 ... June 20/09
A 25-year-old Santa Monica woman was killed Friday when she lost control of her subcompact car and slammed into a tractor-trailer truck on the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway, officials said. The driver of the car, Dawn Hanna, was pronounced dead at the scene. The impact forced both the car and the big rig into the center divider of the freeway, just south of Ventura Freeway... cont...

> Fatal Accident Slows Traffic on 405 Freeway ... June 19/09
A horrific accident left a young woman dead and another person injured on the 405 Freeway Friday, according to the California Highway Patrol. A big rig slammed into two other vehicles pinning one of them up against the center divider on the northbound side of the freeway around noon, said a CHP Officer... cont...

> Suspect Barricaded in 405 Storm Drain Finally Surrenders ... June 17/09
A burglary suspect who barricaded himself in a storm drain beneath the 405 Freeway was finally surrendered after a 12-hour standoff. The incident brought traffic to a standstill on southbound Interstate 405 at Roscoe Blvd. just after 3 a.m. Tuesday. The carpool lanes and No. 1 lane were reopened just before 5 a.m., but the right three lanes remained closed through mid-afternoon... cont...

> Alleged Robber Jams 405 Freeway Traffic ... June 17/09
A suspected thief decided to hide out in a storm drain on early Tuesday morning. The storm drain runs beneath one of Los Angeles's busiest freeways, the 405, also known as the San Diego Freeway. The suspect was an alleged robber at a nearby warehouse. Several sources say that he was after some copper wire. He hid in a storm drain and refused to come out, telling authorities that he had a baby at home and he didn't want to be detained... cont...

> Work begins on final leg of 405 Freeway's northbound carpool lane ... May 16/09
Construction began Friday on the last leg of a carpool lane for the northbound San Diego Freeway through western Los Angeles, a $1-billion project designed to ease congestion on one of the busiest traffic corridors in the nation. Officials for the California Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority say the additional lane will reduce delays on the north side of the 405 Freeway and allow motorists to travel continuously in a carpool lane from Orange County to the San Fernando Valley. Stretching 72 miles, it will be the longest high-occupancy-vehicle lane in the country. The new lane will run 10 miles from the 10 Freeway north to the 101 Freeway interchange.... cont...