The red carpet was in place Thursday and ready to go for Sunday’s 87th Academy Awards presentation, but motorists in Hollywood may be finding the street closures now in effect less than glamorous.
The famous red carpet was rolled out on the sidewalk leading to the Dolby Theatre but was quickly covered with plastic tarp for protection. Workers rolled the roughly 500-foot-long, 33-foot-wide carpet along Hollywood Boulevard, with a throng of photographers snapping images of the annual tradition.
Once the carpet was in place Wednesday, workers covered it for protection from the elements, and from the footsteps of workers who are continuing preparations for Sunday’s ceremony.
The placement of the red carpet gave tourists a special treat. But just getting to Hollywood during the week leading up to the Oscars can be a chore.
On Sunday, Hollywood Boulevard was closed for the entire week leading up to the ceremony. The closure is between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue, and some sidewalks in the area were blocked to accommodate installation of the decorations, large Oscar statues, the red carpet and the bleachers — which can accommodate 771 star-gazers hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrities making their way into the theater.
The Los Angeles Police Department, city Department of Transportation and California Highway Patrol all team up for traffic control in the days leading up to the event. The agencies will also combine for a “maximum deployment period” on Sunday, meaning all available traffic officers will be on duty in the area, according to the LAPD’s West Traffic Division.
In addition to street closures already in place, Hawthorn Avenue will close between Highland and Orange on Friday.
On Saturday, the day before the show, a series of other closures will begin:
— Orchid Street will close from 60 feet south of Franklin Boulevard to Orchid Alley.
— Orange will close from Orchid Alley to Hollywood Boulevard.
— The north and south sidewalks of Hawthorn Avenue will close from Highland to Orange.
— The north sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard will close completely from Highland to Orange.
— The west sidewalk of Highland will close from Johnny Grant Way south to Hollywood Boulevard.
— Johnny Grant Way from Highland to Orchid Street will close.
On Oscar Sunday, the following restrictions will take effect:
— The remainder of Hawthorn Alley from Orange to Highland will close.
— Orange will close from Hawthorn to Hollywood Boulevard.
— The north and south sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland to 300 feet east of Highland will close.
— The south sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard will close directly in front of the north-south running Hawthorn Alley.
— The east and west sidewalks of Highland from Hollywood Boulevard to Hawthorn will close.
— The east sidewalk of Highland will close from Yucca Street south to the alley.
— The north and south crosswalks on Hollywood Boulevard at the Highland intersection.
— Hollywood Boulevard will be closed from La Brea Boulevard to Orange Drive, and from Highland Avenue to Cahuenga Boulevard.
— Hawthorn Avenue will close between Orange Drive and La Brea, and from Highland and McCadden Place.
— McCadden Place will close from Yucca Street to Hollywood Boulevard.
— Wilcox Avenue will close between Sunset and Cahuenga boulevards.
On Oscar Sunday, Metro Red Line trains will bypass the Hollywood and Highland station. Regular service will resume at 6 a.m. Monday.
Metro bus routes along Hollywood Boulevard will be re-routed during the street closures.
—City News