Weekend drives along the I-405 through the South Bay and Long Beach area are about to get a lot more painful. Caltrans is gearing up for a sweeping, multi-year overhaul of the freeway that will bring recurring lane closures and detours on weekends, tangling travel for commuters, delivery drivers and port traffic alike.
The work targets roughly a 12-mile stretch of the 405 between the Orange County line and the I-110 interchange and bundles pavement, bridge and traffic-management upgrades into a single contract. The worst disruptions are expected on weekend nights and early mornings, when crews can safely take lanes to demolish and rebuild aging sections.
State transportation filings identify the job as the SHOPP pavement preservation project PPNO 5484/EA 35320 and say it will rehabilitate pavement, bridges, drainage and transportation-management systems while upgrading signs, lighting and pedestrian elements, according to the California Transportation Commission. Officials told commissioners the goal is to extend pavement life, cut down on ongoing maintenance and improve safety along the corridor.
What Caltrans Plans To Fix
The contract pulls together a long list of fixes into one package: repaving about 118 lane-miles of concrete, restoring more than 96,000 square feet of bridge surfaces and replacing roughly 800 feet of underground drainage culverts, according to reporting that reviewed project documents. The same files, as reported by the New York Post, also show plans for nearly 57,000 feet of upgraded guardrail, 11 new crash cushions, 465 sign panels across 38 overhead frames, 15 CCTV cameras, three changeable message signs, 34 modernized ramp meters, 95 ADA-compliant curb ramps and about 1.5 miles of new fiber-optic cable…