Carmageddon shortcuts from Valley to Westside

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The 405 Freeway will be completely closed from the 10 to the 101 over the weekend of July 16. It's expected to cause mayhem on the roads, but not to worry. Here's how to get from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside.

There are prescribed detour routes for the 405 shutdown, but those involve going quite a few miles out of your way. What if you just need to get over the hill from the Valley to the Westside? Savvy weekday commuters know that the canyons are the answer.

See a live cam shot of the Mulholland Bridge construction site.

The 405 makes its way through the Sepulveda Pass, as does Sepulveda Boulevard. At this point, we're told that it's supposed to remain open, but you can bet it's going to be full of cars. Well, there's more than one way to get from one side of the mountain to the other.

To the west your only option is Topanga Canyon Blvd. and it's likely to be very busy carrying drivers to Malibu and Santa Monica.

But just to the east of the 405 is Beverly Glen Blvd. It begins at Ventura Boulevard and takes you up and over the Santa Monica Mountains and easily into Century City or Westwood.

Coldwater Canyon Ave. is just a bit farther east. There's been some construction near Ventura Blvd. but that shouldn't be a factor on weekends. It takes you right into Beverly Hills.

There's something you need to know about canyon roads. They're narrow, only one lane in each direction. You're also not going to be going very fast. And if there's a big emergency like a fire or serious car crash, the road can get get backed up in a matter of minutes and then you're kind of stuck with nowhere to go. So you want to use these roads at your own risk.

Our final route is good old Laurel Canyon Blvd., long a favorite of those trying to stay off the jammed 101. It'll take you right to Sunset Blvd. where Hollywood and West Hollywood meet.

And keep in mind that all these canyons are connected by Mulholland Drive. If one doesn't work, the next one is pretty close by.

You might not need or want to venture into unfamiliar canyons on that busy traffic weekend, but if you're up to the twists and turns, they can be an easy shortcut.

Get live traffic maps at abc7.com/traffic

Get live traffic maps at abc7.com/traffic

Check out an interactive map of Dave Kunz 405 closure shortcuts.

Beat Carmageddon with ABC7

The 405 shuts down the weekend of July 16-17, and ABC7 Eyewitness News is your home for the latest traffic news and information. Follow @abc7 and @BeatCarmageddon on Twitter, and use the hash tag #abc7traffic.

ABC7 has also partnered with Waze to help navigate the traffic. Download the Waze app, which provides free turn-by-turn GPS navigation based on the live conditions of the road. Join the community of drivers in Southern California today and beat Carmageddon.

Check out the latest Carmageddon coverage from abc7.com

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carmageddon, I-405 closure, construction, road closure, abc7 traffic center, dave kunz

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