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405 Freeway Finished Ahead of Schedule
Posted on October 1, 2012 Written By: iadminlaw
Caltrans builds tall “stack” interchanges with soaring ramps that offer impressive views. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Carmageddon II weekend has come and past. Southern California residents were apprehensively awaiting the brief closure of part of the Interstate 405. Los Angeles residents were encouraged to stay off the freeways and to participate in other recreational activities such as riding bikes and hiking. While many individuals participated in other travelling alternatives, the 405 freeway was actually opened a tad bit early.
Bridgework was being completed on a 10-mile stretch of the 405 freeway. Just like the original Carmageddon of July 2011, part of the freeway was closed and drivers were advised to take different routes or to stay off the freeway for the weekend. And just like last year, the construction turned out to be quicker than anticipated. The California freeway became available for travelers ahead of schedule on Sunday night at around 9:15 a.m.
The I-10 connector and off-ramps were first reopened at around 8:45 p.m. Then, on-ramps were opened. A slow moving group of Caltrans vehicles were allowed on the freeway upon its opening and followed by a group of drivers ready to use the freeway once again.
The section of the 405 was closed between Friday night as construction workers demolished the northern half of the Mulholland bridge and erected a new half-bridge. They were also able to mate it to the first half of the bridge erected last year during the first Carmageddon.
The construction work involved about 38,000 pounds of iron and steel and removing more than 360,000 pounds of metal jackets from the bridge’s four support columns. The bridge was built 50 years ago but was torn down to create a new bridge and finish a project that would add a carpool lane in the freeway. The project should be done sometime in 2013.
The contractor Kiewit would have been heavily fined with penalties if it did not open the freeways by 5 a.m. on Monday. The find would have been about $6,000 per lane for every 10 minutes that it was past the dead line. That is about $60,000 per minute if all the lanes were closed for 53 hours.
Luckily, the team finished ahead of schedule and no car accidents were caused. In Southern California, personal injury is common among car collisions. If you have been hurt, consult with an injury attorney today.
