Traffic crawled through the Sepulveda Pass during the Monday afternoon rush hour as a pipline-maintenance project prompted lane closures on Sepulveda Boulevard, slowing both that roadway and the northbound lanes of the adjacent San Diego (405) Freeway.
But there was some good news for frustrated drivers: It’ll all be over by Monday night, a lot earlier than expected.
Southern California Gas Co. officials initially said the routine maintenance project would continue through Tuesday evening, and they warned motorists to plan for delays, with Sepulveda being reduced to one lane in each direction at Skirball Center Drive.
By mid-afternoon Monday, however, SoCalGas announced that the project, which included the replacement of a 24-inch supply line, would be finished ahead of schedule.
“SoCalGas has been working continuously since Sunday evening to complete the work, which is expected to be completed by Monday evening or earlier,” according to the company. “… While we realize this is an inconvenience to motorists in the area, we thank them for their patience while we work to maintain our infrastructure.”
The lane restrictions began Sunday evening, affecting not only Sepulveda Boulevard but offramps from the southbound 405 Freeway at Skirball Center. The freeway through the area is one of the most heavily congested roadways in the nation, so it wasn’t clear that all of the traffic was due to the pipeline project as rush hours are often stop-and-go.
–City News Service