Both north- and south-bound lanes for Interstate 405 in Los Angeles will be closed for just over two days straight next month, which may cause nightmarish road conditions for drivers.





A 10-mile section of I-405, considered Southern California's busiest artery, will be closed down for 53 hours July 16-17 to enable the demolition of the Mulholland Drive overpass.

 The mayor's office is warning people to plan ahead.

"There's gridlock on the 405 virtually any time of the day, but particularly during the rush hour, and if you think it's bad now, let me just make something absolutely clear: On July 16 and 17, it will be an absolute nightmare," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a speech on Tuesday.

The I-405 widening project will provide commuters with a continuous carpool lane from Orange County to the San Fernando Valley, saving them an estimated 20 minutes on their daily commute while reducing overall congestion.

Commentary on the closure was quite colorful, but intended to keep people away from the coming 'car-megeddon'.

"This project should probably be renamed 'The Nightmare on the 405.' Everyone is going to be impacted," said Metrolink Board Chair Richard Katz.