Living With the Oscars: Big Street Closures Start Sunday

The Academy Awards are nine days away, but some Hollywood-area traffic changes are already in place, with more extensive restrictions taking effect Sunday.

The 84th Oscars ceremony will be held Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theater, and negotiating the spate of street closures is an annual ritual for motorists who need to navigate the area.

Some alleys, sidewalks and curb lanes have already been closed near Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, but the big traffic headaches will begin at 10 p.m. Sunday, when Hollywood Boulevard is closed between Orange Drive and Highland. That stretch will remain closed until 6 a.m. Feb. 28.

Other closures taking effect Sunday are:

• North and south sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard between Orange and Highland, with the exception of an 8-foot pedestrian access, except for the area directly in front of the Awards Walk leading to the Kodak Theater;

• Pedestrian crosswalk mid-block on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange and Highland in front of the Kodak Theater;

• North and south curb lanes of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive.

• Hawthorn alley behind the El Capitan Theatre from 300 feet east of Orange Drive east to the "T" alley.

Additional street closures will take effect in the days just prior to the Oscars ceremony.

Some Metro buses will be routed around the area. The Metro Red Line will continue stopping at the Hollywood and Highland station until the final train on Feb. 25. Trains will then bypass the station until 6 a.m. Feb. 27.

A detailed listing of street closures is available at www.oscars.org/closures. We've also attached a PDF of the list and maps.