Carmageddon: I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project

slide 1: I- 405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project

Accelerated Road Works

June 6, 2012

by Michael Barbour, LA Metro

slide 2: FHWA Office of Operations: Peer Exchange Workshop

Accelerating Delivery Through Innovative Contracting/Scheduling/Staging

slide 3: Precept One

West Los Angeles: Neighborhoods Choking on Traffic

slide 4: Precept One

In 2010, approximately 100 million vehicles traveled (north and south) on the I-405 through the Sepulveda Pass
At the Wilshire Bl/Veteran Av intersection(west of the I-405)approximately 120,000 vehicles pass through the intersection on an average work day
National assets near Mulholland Bridge: Getty art museum, Skirball Center, LAX, UCLA

slide 5: Precept One

Aerial view of the Route 405/Route 10 interchange.

slide 6: Precept One

Scale of the I-405 project increases delays

26 bridges (replacement and widening)
68 retaining walls – 927,000 SF/53,000 LF
27 sound walls – 27,000 LF
Cast-in-place concrete – 110,000 CY
Excavation – 900,000 CY
Backfill/Embankment – 600,000 CY
Bridge piling – 86,000 LF

slide 7: Precept One

Scale of the Mulholland Bridge demolition affected residents

Crews started placing traffic control devices one month prior to demolition of Mulholland Bridge.
Friday night traffic control setup required 10 crews, 28 trucks, and 5 hours.
2,500 cones used to close the freeway.
9 million pounds of concrete removed from bridge
1,000 cubic yards of soil placed under the bridge to protect the roadway from falling debris.

slide 8: Precept One

Demolition of north side of Mulholland Bridge finished 17 hours early

Demolition of the north side of Mulholland Bridge

slide 9: Precept One

Side-by-side photos of a worker using a blow torch to cut through cables and construction cranes being used to tear away segments of deconstructed bridge decking.

slide 10: Precept One

The Mulholland overpass.

slide 11: Precept One

Two men standing behind a bank of microphones holding up chips of concrete for the cameras.

slide 12: Precept One

Neighborhoods surrounding the Sepulveda Pass are affluent, politically-connected, suspicious of any change to their lifestyles
A variety of agencies and political bodies exert influence on the project: Metro, Caltrans, Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, Los Angeles City Councilmembers, California legislators, Bureau of Street Services, Department of Transportation, FHWA, GSA, homeowner groups, neighborhood councils, VA

slide 13: Precept One

Stakeholders include 26 utility owners

MWD
Telephone companies
SCE
DWP
Chevron, Exxon, Shell

slide 14: Precept One

Logical alternative to I-405, Sepulveda Bl, stuffed with utilities

Cutaway illustration of Sepulveda Boulevard shows the presence of several gas lines, telecom lines, water, sewer, and other types of utility lines in the 40 feet below street level.

slide 15: Precept One

Utilities through Mulholland Bridge delayed Carmageddon I

Southern California Gas Company (8-inch high-pressure line)
DWP (16-inch water line)
SCG
Power

slide 16: Precept Two

It Takes More Than Engineers

slide 17: Precept Two

An extended team:

Caltrans Operations and Caltrans Traffic
Construction Relations, Media Relations
Elected officials
Local agencies (Getty, LAX, Skirball, UCLA)
Chevron, Exxon, Shell
Local traffic officials
Statewide traffic officials
Police
Fire
Utility relocations and risk

slide 18: Precept Three

Invite Everyone to the Table

slide 19: Precept Three

Height, long span of Mulholland Bridge and absence of center support column required 53-hour full I-405 closure in the Sepulveda Pass
Amount of population effected, number of agencies and government jurisdictions involved, number of hospitals and national assets nearby required a broad partnership
Consequently, 53-hour I-405 closure coordinated through a Unified Command (LAPD, LAFD, CHP, LADOT, Metro, and Caltrans)

slide 20: Precept Three

Caltrans commitment particularly important

64 fixed changeable message signs in LA, Ventura counties
40 fixed changeable message signs along routes 5, 99, 101, and 580, from Oregon border to San Diego
No lane closures on all other freeways that weekend

slide 21: Precept Three

Provide fire/emergency medical service/rescue/law enforcement/traffic control service within and around the impact area
Manage risk
Maintain service and response times
Develop four geographic branches and one jurisdictional branch (CHP)

slide 22: Precept Three

In surrounding communities, LAFD committed more than 150 firefighters and paramedics.
LAPD committed 250 staff members during the day and 207 staff members at night.
CHP dedicated 80 officers to the closure effort.
LADOT committed 140 traffic control officers at peak, 380 traffic control officers overall.
LADOT deployed 37 changeable message signs, each displaying traffic conditions and detour information.

slide 23: Precept Three

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Planning

Extensive demolition plan by Penhall Corporation approved by Caltrans (bridge owner)
Hour-by-hour schedule broken into 15-minute increments
Additional resources available; contingency plans waiting
Kiewit furnished 46 portable message signs arrayed throughout Los Angeles County.

slide 24: Precept Four

Empower Your Community Outreach Team

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Closure Weekend Outreach

Local, regional and statewide campaign
Media campaign
Digital message signs
Public announcements
Online notices
Applications available for download
Social media presence

slide 26: Precept Four

4.6 million – impressions from print ads
$1 million equivalent ad value – over 300 networks reporting
Over 450 radio ads
500,000 views on Metro.net/405
Weekly email blast to over 6,000 regional stakeholder organizations
Check inserts: Metro, City of LA, County of LA – over 150,000 employees

slide 27: Precept Four

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)

During weekend in Los Angeles County, VMT dropped 12 percent.
VMT in neighboring counties remained unchanged.
Northbound I-405 at Culver Bl, traffic on Saturday, July 16 dropped 64 percent from previous Saturday.
Southbound I-405 at Burbank Bl, traffic on July 16 dropped 56 percent from previous week.

No consultants were hired to conduct the Mulholland Bridge demolition outreach program for the I-405 project.

slide 28: Precept Four

VMT Results for Saturday, July 16, 2011

Location	Change (%)	Change (Vehicles)
Northbound I-405 at Culver Bl	64	81,562
Southbound I-405 at Burbank Bl	56	48,396
US 101 near I-405 (northbound)	40	64,670
US 101 near I-405 (southbound)	40	68,000
I-10 near I-405 (eastbound)	25	29,527
I-10 near I-405 (westbound)	25	34,770

slide 29: Precept Four

50	Equivalent advertising dollars in millions Metro received from media coverage of I-405 closure and Mulholland Bridge demolition
571,445	Number of times the I-405 website was viewed two weeks before I-405 closure
200	Number of websites that added Countdown to Closure clock to their sites; Countdown to Closure clock viewed more than three million times
25	Presentations to community stakeholders and key institutions immediately adjacent to Mulholland Bridge