'Ramp Jam' officially underway; drivers warned of I-405 closures

WEST LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Ramp closures officially began Friday at 10 p.m. on portions of the 405 Freeway in West Los Angeles.

The first phase of the project known as "Ramp Jam" is expected to last about three months. The first ramps to close will be the northbound I-405 on-ramp from westbound Wilshire Boulevard, and the westbound Wilshire Boulevard off-ramp from the northbound I-405.

The year-long reconstruction project will tear down and rebuild all eight of Wilshire Boulevard's on- and off-ramps to the 405 Freeway as part of a billion-dollar improvements project. Crews will also add a carpool lane on the freeway.

"We are going to have extreme congestion in this area. If you can eliminate any discretionary trips, that's obviously going to keep you out of harm's way. There's no easy solution. We can't really snap our fingers and make traffic disappear, so if you can possibly avoid the area, that's what we advise," said MTA spokesperson Dave Sotero.

Some commuters have been plotting new routes.

"It's going to be awful for me. I'm going to have to find some alternate routes," said commuter Tommy Chu.

Detours:

• Westbound Wilshire Boulevard on-ramp to the northbound I-405: Drivers are encouraged to travel northbound on Sepulveda Boulevard to access the Moraga Drive on-ramp, or travel southbound on Sepulveda Boulevard to access the Santa Monica Boulevard on-ramp.
• Northbound I-405 off-ramp to westbound Wilshire Boulevard: Motorists should exit the freeway using the Santa Monica Boulevard off-ramp, then head northbound on Sepulveda Boulevard to Wilshire Boulevard.

As an alternative, drivers traveling northbound on the I-405 and westbound on the 10 Freeway will be directed to exit at Bundy Drive to reach their westbound Wilshire Boulevard destinations.

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