The closure was necessary to demolish the southbound I-405 to eastbound SR-22 connector as part of the West County Connectors Project
ORANGE – The southbound San Diego Freeway (I-405) reopened to traffic at 2:20 p.m. today after being closed between the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) and Valley View Street in Westminster. The northbound I-405 will reopen to traffic at 3 p.m.
The nearly 18-hour full freeway closure was necessary so crews could demolish the bridge linking the southbound I-405 to eastbound Garden Grove Freeway (SR-22) as part of the West County Connectors project. Construction of a new connector bridge was completed late last month and is now being used by drivers.
“The bridge has been bashed, I-405 is once again open for business and we greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of the traveling public,” said OCTA Chairman Greg Winterbottom. “A demolition like this is no easy task and I want to thank the teams from Atkinson Construction, Cleveland Wrecking Company, Caltrans and OCTA for completing the job safely and on time.”
Approximately 70 workers utilized 50-plus pieces of equipment, including 10 excavators, to chip away at the bridge while the freeway surface below was protected with steel plates. The concrete from the bridge will be recycled and used on other parts of the project. The total cost of the demolition process was approximately $700,000.
In addition to the bridge demolition, Caltrans utilized the closure to perform maintenance activities that would normally require separate closures over a seven-day period. Crews performed crack sealing, weed abatement and median drainage cleaning while the freeway was closed. This work helped save taxpayer dollars and prevented additional inconvenience for drivers.
Traffic on I-405 near the border between Orange and Los Angeles counties averages approximately 370,000 vehicles each day, making it one of the busiest in the nation. Typical weekend traffic in the area is 350,000 vehicles a day.
The $277 million West County Connectors project will improve traffic flow by directly connecting carpool lanes on I-405, I-605 and SR-22. In addition, a second carpool lane will be constructed on I-405 between SR-22 and I-605. The 6-mile project traverses the cities of Garden Grove, Westminster, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Long Beach and the community of Rossmoor. Started in 2010, construction on the West County Connectors project is expected to be complete in late 2014 or early 2015.
For more information regarding the closure, visit www.octa.net/bridgebash.
