The project is part of a $1 billion project to widen the freeway to accommodate a new carpool lane. "Everything's on pace for the 5 a.m. Monday reopening," Jagger said.
Carmageddon II, the sequel to last year's shutdown of a 10-miles stretch of the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass, is going according to script as motorists heeded months of warnings to stay off the road.
Drivers faced additional challenges Sunday as the Herbalife Los Angeles Triathlon temporarily closed many surface streets.
Surface streets in the closure area were clogged, but overall officials said traffic tie-ups were minimal. As temperatures climbed into the 90s, those who couldn't resist a trip to the beach said traffic was smooth.
California Highway Patrol officers cited seven people on Interstate 405 early Sunday, including a group of rollerbladers and newlyweds who sneaked onto the roadway to celebrate their nuptials.
For weeks, Angelenos had been warned to avoid the area. If they didn't, officials warned a citywide traffic jam could result.
During a similar closure last year, commuters stayed away from the freeway in droves, the shutdown was considered a success, and crews finished the first phase of the work early.
This time, the contractor faces a penalty if the work isn't done in 53 hours. The fine is $6,000 per lane of freeway, for every 10 minutes over the deadline. Demolition temporarily halted Saturday when a large chunk of the bridge unexpectedly came down, but the contractor said it wouldn't delay the project.
The closed section of the freeway carries about 500,000 motorists each day on a typical weekend, according to the Los Angeles Times. California Department of Transportation officials said t at least two-thirds of those drivers needed to stay off the road.
Meanwhile, TV news crews made good on a promise to avoid a traffic jam in the sky as they cover the shutdown.
Residents complained of low-flying, noisy helicopters hovering nonstop over the region last year. This time, local television news directors pooled coverage by using video from a single helicopter making limited flights over the freeway.
