Early Friday morning, media vans from every major news station lined the sides of this stretch of freeway that normally accommodates a half-million cars on any given weekend. Last month, the Los Angeles Police Department asked celebrities to join in its public service announcement strategy by tweeting the news of the closure to their fans.
“LAPD askd me 2tweet: 405fwy btwn 10 & 101 will b closed July16-17. Since then, other Hollywood types have joined the Carmaggedon Twitter search feed.
“This weekend, LA! Avoid Carmageddon, Gas-zilla, 405-enstein, Grid-lock-apalooza! STAY HOME. Eat & shop local!” Tom Hanks posted on Twitter.
Paris Hilton tweeted: “Hey LA, who's scared of Carmageddon? Businesses in Los Angeles have restructured their normal weekend advertising campaigns to fit this very moment. Many businesses are offering “Carmageddon Specials.”
JetBlue offered Long Beach to Burbank flights, bypassing the 405 altogether, for $4. Travel and Leisure reports that Terranea, in Rancho Palos Verdes, is “offering refugees of the shutdown” a third night for 40.5 percent off the rack rate with their “405 Freeway Package.”
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica has a “Live Like a Local” package (overnight parking included) with rates from $405 a night.
If it is at all possible, drivers are being asked to simply stay home. But if you must to drive into Los Angeles this weekend, you need to plan ahead, and you can bet that is what truck drivers are doing.
Even drivers in the Valley, are being warned to expect big delays on Los Angeles freeways this weekend. The closure of the 405 Freeway has drivers expecting major traffic headaches, especially those who drive for a living.
Caltrans will begin closing on and off ramps on the 405 at 7 o'clock Friday evening. By midnight, the freeway will be completely off limits.
In that time, crew wills tear down Mulholland Bridge, making it wider and longer. Fresno trucking company owner Ganduglia has three drivers currently traveling through the area. For his part, trucker Gerald Wong is glad he's headed north to Oregon, and far from the 405.
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