LA freeway reopens early

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

The event that many feared would be the “Carmageddon” of epic traffic jams cruised calmly to a finish Sunday, with bridge work on the Los Angeles roadway completed nearly a full day ahead of schedule and officials reopening a 10-mile stretch of the busy freeway.

Drivers honked their horns and waved from car windows as traffic started moving in all 10 lanes of Interstate 405 just after noon for the first time since being shut down at midnight Friday.

There were no major problems since the freeway was closed, and the biggest worry of all — that the work would spill into the area’s always rough Monday morning commute, was set aside.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praised contractors for working so quickly and thanked city residents for heeding calls to stay off the roads. He also gave credit to news outlets for spreading word about the closure, which had been planned to last for 53 hours.

“We couldn’t have done this without the cooperation of this city,” Villaraigosa said.

Crews finished demolition work on the bridge about 7 a.m., toppling two massive pillars. About 4,000 tons of concrete rubble was expected to be removed over the course of the job.