1. Orange County's 'Bridge Bash' 405 Closure Ends Early
89.3 KPCC
The Associated Press reports that traffic was moving smoothly around the area Sunday morning. Orange County Transportation Authority credits the agency's community outreach campaign for the success.
2. 405 Freeway In Orange County Reopens Ahead Of Schedule
ABC7 Los Angeles
The shutdown was scheduled to last until 5 p.m. Sunday, but a Caltrans official reopened the southbound lanes by 1:45 p.m. The northbound lanes were back open around 3 p.m.
3. ‘Bridge Bash’: 405 Reopens Hours Ahead Of Schedule In O.C.
KTLA5 (Video)
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (KTLA) — All lanes on the 405 Freeway in Orange County were reopened ahead of schedule on Sunday after the demolition of a 50-year-old connector bridge was completed earlier than expected, Caltrans officials said.
4. 405 Freeway Stretch Reopens Ahead Of Schedule
NBC Southern California
A stretch of the San Diego (405) Freeway through Orange County reopened ahead of schedule after being closed for a bridge reconstruction project.
5. Southbound 405 Freeway In O.C. Reopens Hours Ahead Of Schedule
CBS Los Angeles
WESTMINSTER (CBSLA.com/AP) — A temporarily closed section of one of Southern California’s busiest freeways reopened early, after workers demolished a bridge on Sunday.
6. 'Orange Jam' Jells: I-405 Reopens Early After Overpass Torn Down
O.C. Register
SEAL BEACH – Traffic roared back on Orange County’s side of I-405 well ahead of schedule on Sunday afternoon after a round-the-clock effort to demolish an old overpass brought the freeway to a dead stop.
Project engineers said the demolition, unlike anything attempted in California before, went off without a hitch. The evidence was piled along the side of the freeway, a mountain of metal cables and concrete rubble that will be ground up and re-used.
The closure emptied the busiest stretch of freeway in California, starting at I-605 heading south and Valley View Street heading north. Traffic was heavy Sunday along some of the side streets that served as detours – but it was moving, and transportation officials counted that a success.
“Absolutely minimal disruptions,” said Ted Nguyen, a spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority. “The 405 is a basic artery. It’s a heartbeat for all of Southern California. … We couldn’t be more pleased.”
Until recently, the overpass at the center of the closure carried tens of thousands of commuters every day, up and over I-405 and onto the eastbound 22. Work crews built a new overpass as part of a $277 million project to better link carpool lanes and improve traffic in the area – leaving the old bridge an abandoned, 50-year-old relic.
Making it unusual for demolition crews were the interior steel cables that helped hold it up, each two inches across and carrying a million pounds of tension. Such cables are typically encased in cement – but not in this bridge. Engineers were concerned that the cables might whip back when they were cut.
Reporters and other observers were told to take cover behind trucks before the first cut. But workers closer to the bridge reported hearing only a small “pop” when a machine with a lobster-like cutting claw reached into the bridge late Saturday and severed the first cable.
“We hoped it would be a non-event,” John Zehnder, Caltrans’ senior bridge engineer, said after that critical first cut. “And it was.”
Almost immediately, half a dozen towering jack-hammers went to work, chiseling away the old concrete of the bridge as excavators hauled away the rubble and the cutting claws occasionally snapped more cables. The bridge deck was down before dawn Sunday, the last third of it toppled in one piece with a ground-shaking crash to avoid any risk of it falling into the new overpass.
Drivers had been warned for weeks to expect a 20-hour closure, ending at 5 p.m. on Sunday if everything went well. Instead, a Highway Patrol escort led cars back onto the southbound side of the freeway shortly before 3 p.m., and onto the northbound side about an hour later.
By then, SigAlert traffic maps of the I-405 were glaring red in the immediate vicinity of the closure. But long backups and gridlocked side streets – the threat of which made “Orange Jam” the winning entry in a Register contest to name the closure – never seemed to materialize on a wide scale.
Traffic planners said more green-light signal time to the detour routes appeared to help keep traffic moving. A drive on some of the busiest detours early Sunday afternoon found only pockets of stop-and-go traffic.
“I think it went as well as could be expected,” said Adolfo Ozaeta, Westminster’s traffic engineer.
By Sunday afternoon, all that was left of the old bridge was a massive support overlooking the south side of the freeway, piles of rubble – and, despite the street sweepers, a layer of dust. It swirled into a gritty cloud as the first cars came through.
The drivers had to tap their brakes, even though they had the remarkable view of a wide-open I-405 in front of them.
7. ‘Orange Jam’ Jells
O.C. Register
Crews begin demolishing the old connector ramp from the 405 south to the 22 east late Saturday evening. The connector bridge was taken apart piece by piece with special consideration for steel suspension cables inside the structure.
Drivers this morning should find the same I-405 they remember, just minus an old bridge and with some extra rubble piled along the side of the freeway.
A complete closure of the I-405 on the Orange County side of the county line came to an end Sunday afternoon after demolition crews made quicker-than-expected work of the old bridge. Traffic was moving again on both sides of the freeway by 4 p.m. Sunday, an hour earlier than scheduled.
The bridge demolition was part of a $277 million project to better link carpool lanes in the area and improve traffic flow. It blocked off a stretch of I-405 that is the busiest section of freeway in California.
8. O.C.’s Bridge Bash Ends Early, 405 Opens To Commuters
My Fox L.A.
Westminster, CA - (FOX 11 / AP) Sunday afternoon crews swept debris off the freeway and the California Highway Patrol escorted cars back onto the 405. "This construction team delivered a demolition of this size and magnitude in one shift. It's unprecedented. Never done before in America," said Ted Nguyen a spokesperson with the Orange County Transportation Authority.
9. Calif. Freeway Reopens Ahead Of Schedule
San Francisco Gate
SEAL BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A section of one of Southern California's busiest freeways reopened ahead of schedule Sunday, ending the threat of historic traffic snarls after workers finished demolishing an old bridge.
10. 405 Freeway Bridge Demolition Goes Smoothly
Long Beach Press – Telegram
Twisted steel cords lay next to piles of concrete rubble where a 50-year-old connector bridge once stood.
11. 405 Freeway In O.C. Reopens Early After Speedy Bridge Demolition
Los Angeles Times
Motorists were advised to use alternative routes, suffer through a maze of detours on surface streets or, better yet, simply avoid the area altogether. But the demolition work went faster than predicted and the freeway was opened two hours early, with relatively minor traffic backups.
12. 405 Freeway In Orange County To Reopen Hours Ahead Of Schedule
Los Angeles Times
The demolition of a 50-year-old connector bridge is moving along so well that Caltrans plans to reopen a four-mile stretch of the southbound 405 Freeway in Orange County between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, several hours ahead of schedule, officials said.
13. I-405 Re-Opens In Both Directions
Orange County Breeze
“The bridge has been bashed, I-405 is once again open for business and we greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of the traveling public,” said OCTA Chairman Greg Winterbottom.
14. Closed Cal Freeway To Open Early After Bridge Work
U-T San Diego
SEAL BEACH, Calif. — A temporarily closed section of one of Southern California's busiest freeways is expected to reopen early, after workers demolished a bridge.
15. 405 Bridge Bash/Orange Jam Reopens Hours Early
Laguna Beach Patch
A slight bit of confusion clouded the re-opening of the San Diego (405) Freeway Sunday, but the largest scheduled freeway closure in Orange County history ended early.
16. 405 Bridge Bash/Orange Jam Reopens Hours Early
Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch
The largest scheduled freeway closure in Orange County history ended three hours early.
17. 405 Bridge Bash/Orange Jam Reopens Hours Early
Fountain Valley Patch
The largest scheduled freeway closure in Orange County history ended three hours early.
18. 405 Bridge Bash/Orange Jam Reopens Hours Early
Aliso Viejo Patch
A slight bit of confusion clouded the re-opening of the San Diego (405) Freeway Sunday, but the largest scheduled freeway closure in Orange County history ended early.
19. 405 Bridge Bash/Orange Jam Reopens Hours Early
San Clemente Patch
A slight bit of confusion clouded the re-opening of the San Diego (405) Freeway Sunday, but the largest scheduled freeway closure in Orange County history ended early.
20. 405 Bridge Bash/Orange Jam Reopens Hours Early
San Clemente Patch
A slight bit of confusion clouded the re-opening of the San Diego (405) Freeway Sunday, but the largest scheduled freeway closure in Orange County history ended early.
21. Traffic Smooth Around Major Calif. Freeway Closure
U-T San Diego
SEAL BEACH, Calif. — Workers helming cranes and bulldozers Sunday ripped up a bridge along a closed strip of one of Southern California's busiest freeways, while motorists stayed away to avoid a possible traffic nightmare, officials said.
22. 405 Freeway Closure: Bridge Demolition In O.C. Ahead Of Schedule
Los Angeles Times
Caltrans crews are ahead of schedule demolishing a 50-year-old connector bridge on a project that has temporarily closed a four-mile stretch of the southbound 405 Freeway in Orange County, officials said Sunday.
23. Calif. Freeway Reopens Ahead Of Schedule
The Atlanta Journal – Constitution
SEAL BEACH, Calif. — A section of one of Southern California's busiest freeways reopened ahead of schedule Sunday, ending the threat of historic traffic snarls after workers finished demolishing an old bridge.
24. Calif. Freeway Reopens Ahead Of Schedule
Times Union.com
SEAL BEACH, Calif. — A section of one of Southern California's busiest freeways reopened ahead of schedule Sunday, ending the threat of historic traffic snarls after workers finished demolishing an old bridge.
25. Calif. Freeway Reopens Ahead Of Schedule
Lompoc Record.com
A section of one of Southern California's busiest freeways reopened ahead of schedule Sunday, ending the threat of historic traffic snarls after workers finished demolishing an old bridge.
26. 405 Freeway Closure In OC: Coming Hours Will Be The Big Test
Los Angeles Times
Eight hours into the so-called "Bridge Bash," the closure of the 405 Freeway in Orange County appears to be going on without a hitch.
27. 405 Freeway Closure In Orange County Begins
Los Angeles Times
Nearly a year of preparations and warnings to commuters are being tested now with the 9 p.m. closure of a four-mile stretch of the 405 Freeway in Orange County. Transportation officials hope to avoid traffic jobs from the 20-hour closure, dubbed "Bridge Bash" after the demolition of a 50-year-old bridge that connects the 405 and 22 freeways.
28. Major 405 Freeway Closure Set For Saturday Night
Long Beach Press-Telegram
WESTMINSTER (CNS) - Orange County Transportation Authority officials are confident they have gotten the word out about this weekend’s 20-hour closure of a stretch of the San Diego (405) Freeway in Westminster. Over the past week and a half, the hash tag “Bridge Bash” has been used about 1.5 million times on Twitter, said Ted Nguyen of OCTA, referring to the agency’s name of this weekend’s work on the busy freeway.
29. 'Orange Jam' Reminder: I-405 To Close Saturday Night, Sunday
O.C. Register
A high-traffic section of I-405 will shut down Saturday night, and transportation officials have one word for those thinking of braving the detours and delays: Don’t.
The freeway is scheduled to close in both directions near its junction with the 22 freeway from 9 p.m. Saturday until 5 p.m. Sunday. The best detours available will send drivers on long side-street tours of cities such as Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.
And traffic on those side streets could be heavy. The stretch of I-405 that will be shut down sees more traffic on any given day than any other freeway segment in California, according to Caltrans numbers. It’s busier than any point on Los Angeles’ notorious “Carmageddon” closure in 2011.
“If you can possibly avoid the area this weekend, that would probably be your best choice,” said Darrell Johnson, the chief executive of the Orange County Transportation Authority.
The closure will give work crews 20 hours to tear down an old connector-road overpass that, until recently, linked the southbound 405 with the eastbound 22. A new connector opened last month as part of a larger project to better link carpool lanes on I-405, I-605 and the 22.
The old overpass, though, is unlike anything demolished in California before, said John Zehnder, senior bridge engineer with Caltrans.
It gets its strength from a series of cables hidden inside its structure, each two inches across and loaded with a million pounds of tension, Zehnder said. In most bridges, those cables are encased in cement – but not in this one.
That means the cables could whip back when workers cut them to break apart the bridge. The demolition crew has taken the unusual step of leaving the bridge deck in place – rather than breaking it up early to get a jump on the closure clock – to help contain those cables when they snap.
Caltrans plans to grind up and recycle the old concrete and steel of the bridge. It also plans to use the closure as an opportunity to perform what it calls “swarm maintenance” on that part of the 405, sealing cracks, sweeping up litter and killing weeds.
30. 405 Poised for Historic Shutdown
Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch
Bulldozers and giant demolition machines were poised next to the San Diego (405) Freeway Saturday, ready to close a massive interchange for the first time in Orange County history.
31. 405 Freeway Shutdown Prompts Orange County Traffic Warnings
Los Angeles Times
After 10 months of preparations, demolition crews were putting bulldozers, cranes and other wrecking equipment in place Saturday afternoon in the final hours before a full-scale shutdown of a four-mile stretch of the 405 Freeway in Orange County.
32. O.C. Braces For 20-Hour Closure Of 405 Freeway Near L.A. County
Los Angeles Times
"If you don't need to be in the area, steer clear," said Ted Nguyen, a spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority. The closure will allow workers to demolish a bridge as part of a $277-million project to link carpool lanes between the 405, 22 and 605 freeways.
33. 'Bridge Bash' Project to Close Section of 405 Freeway in O.C.
KTLA5
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (KTLA) — A planned freeway closure, dubbed the “Bridge Bash,” shut down a busy section of the 405 Freeway in Orange County on Saturday evening and was expected to last about 20 hours.
34. 405 Freeway Closure: ‘Bridge Bash’ Closes Highway In Orange County
Huffington Post
Attention Angelenos: if you don't need to go to Orange County this weekend, then avoid it like the plague. That's because our OC brethren are going to be put through their own mini-version of Carmageddon with the total closure of the 405 freeway between the 605 freeway and SR-22 highway junctions.
35. I-405 Closure Is Latest Weekend Freeway Shutdown
San Jose Mercury News
SEAL BEACH, Calif.—In what's become a rite of summer in Southern California, construction will force the weekend closure of one of the nation's busiest stretch of highway, threatening to create massive tangles of traffic.
36. Seal Beach Leaders Continue To Oppose 405 Widening
Long Beach Press Telegram
SEAL BEACH - Mayor Gary Miller has signed a city letter officially opposing toll lanes on the 405 Freeway, complaining that the proposed project will impact residents’ quality of life. The letter, one of a series from the city in the past couple of months, reminds Caltrans, the project’s lead agency, that the city opposes alternative plans that would incorporate pay lanes included in a supplemental environmental impact report on plans to widen the 405.