Freeway Project Snarls Weekend Traffic in Hollywood

A pair of freeway projects snarled traffic on two major northbound freeways into the San Fernando Valley over the weekend.

An overnight closure Friday on the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway at Santa Monica Boulevard lasted 75 minutes longer than planned, and the lanes were not reopened until 10:15 a.m. Saturday, according to CHP officers.

The northbound 405's six lanes of traffic were restricted to one lane, which had to exit at Santa Monica Boulevard and go through the signal there before re-entering the freeway. The overnight closure was necessary as new cement was laid to remove a pair of large bumps at the 405's bridge over Santa Monica Boulevard, Metro officials had said.

But the late reopening caused the 405 to back up into the South Bay area, and surface arteries in West L.A. and Culver City were badly congested.

In Hollywood, two of the four northbound lanes of the Hollywood (101) Freeway were closed for roadwork near Sunset Boulevard.

That backed up traffic to downtown Los Angeles, and that caused major delays on the northbound Harbor (101) Freeway as well, according to CHP reports and Caltrans freeway scanners.