Radio promotions departments must be having a blast with this event.
http://news.yahoo.com/los-angeles-faces ... 28072.html
Los Angeles has traffic jitters as "Carmageddon" begins
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles on Friday began closing a crucial freeway, the 405, touching off what officials warn could be a grueling weekend of epic traffic jams that locals have dubbed "Carmageddon."
The unprecedented 53-hour shutdown, expected to delay motorists for hours on alternate routes with ripple effects on other major highways, will allow crews to demolish a bridge as part of a $1 billion freeway-widening project.
"The day is upon us ... the onset of a weekend we've all anticipated and we've all planned for," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told reporters hours before the shutdown. "We've taken unprecedented measures to prepare for the closure and any incidents that may arise as a result."
Work crews started to block on-ramps and connectors to the 405 at 6 p.m. local time, with full closure of all traffic lanes slated to go into effect by midnight.
Plans call for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro, to reopen the 405, including ramps and connectors, by 6 a.m. on Monday, officials said.
So while authorities have publicized the closure as a 53-hour operation, traffic restrictions will actually run for as long as 60 hours in all.
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