Carpocalypse II Hits Southern California

Come Saturday, one of the nation's most traveled pieces of road will shut down for about two days — again. The closure will affect some 500,000 motorists and has been aptly called Carpocalypse II. That's right, this is the sequel. For those of us who don't live anywhere near Southern California, we're referring to the closure of Interstate 405. The city of Los Angeles is completing the demolition of an old bridge above the freeway to make way for a widened throughway: The 405 will get a new high-occupancy vehicle lane among other improvements to on- and off-ramps. The 10-mile section of the 405, near the center of Los Angeles, will be closed for 53 hours as construction workers toil around the clock to remove the rest of the overhead viaduct. The highway is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday. Like we said before, this is act two of a well-coordinated road closure. When the 405 was closed in July 2011, most media outlets, celebrities and the public heeded the warnings and stayed off the highway. In fact, the last closure was such a non-event that city officials are worried that the public might now be lulled into a false sense of security. This time, the demolition of the bridge will take longer, and this year's closure is happening during a busier time for road travel. So if you live near or around the 405 or its adjoining highways, avoid taking your car anywhere far, and frequent establishments within walking or short-driving distance of your home, as city officials recommend. Related New Fears in Los Angeles as Highway Closes Again (New York Times) Would You Pay for Better Roads? More Automotive News from KickingTires http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 647517