CARMEGEDDON: Closure of the 405

photo by Dave Polaschek

So here we are Los Angelinos, the 53 hour, 3180 second closure of the 405 Freeway is nearly here. Starting early Friday morning, the 16th of July, is a day that “will live in infamy”, as Roosevelt would say.

It's very interesting to see the reaction of people to the closure, seeing as the stretch of highway being closed is indeed the most hated stretch of highway in the [world]. Average speed while driving between the hours of 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (rush hour) is about 3-10 mph, depending on where you enter. No matter how hated and dreaded this 10-mile stretch is, it's used by millions of vehicles each day both directions.


We all know the closure will affect the employees just trying to make it to their place of work on time, those 16-wheelers, and the UPS trucks with packages that still must be delivered. Most people have been campaigning throughout the last month that they get the day off of work, so they can bypass the problem all together. Others, who aren’t so lucky to have their wishes granted, will have to bare with alternate routes.

The GPS systems, who are oblivious to the whole “Carmegetton” news, that no doubt direct the frustrated drivers to hop on the 405. But, I really feel for those who haven’t been able to catch one of the many "Warning of the Closure" signs or the news coverage about the closure. These people will head car-first into the battle field, attempting to take their beloved freeway only to find out that it will not accept their vehicle. They will find themselves tire-deep in a swamp of three-million-plus cars that will be on alternate streets due to the closure. Sounds like grid lock, upon grid lock, upon grid lock on the city streets not to mention the traffic that the residential streets will see.

This is nothing but great news to the neighboring business’ along the stretch. Knowing that their business is along some of the alternate routes, they surely will have different promotional campaigns to draw in the extra traffic. For example, I know at least three stores who are offering products in their store for $4.05 (405). Sounds like a great deal brought on because of the 405 closure. Awesome!


The real victims are the Harry Potter fans that need the freeway to navigate to their favorite theatre to watch the last edition of the Harry Potter series, which comes out this Friday. Harry Potter fanatics will have to hit the streets in their Hogwart-O-Mobiles as the make way to the theatre in full costume. There goes the neighborhood!

(@freeao)

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