Burbank Boulevard Bridge Project To Shut Down 5 Freeway For 36 Hours On April 25
BURBANK (CBSLA) — Mark your calendars!
Caltrans announced Thursday that the 5 Freeway in Burbank will close for a 36-hour period on the weekend of April 25.
Drivers should brace themselves for significant traffic issues beginning Saturday afternoon until Monday, April 27 at 3 a.m. as construction to demolish the much-traversed Burbank Boulevard overpass bridge begins.
"There's a large potential to affect not only traffic in the Burbank area, but the greater Los Angeles area," said CHP Captian Tai Vong.
The 5 Freeway closure will be the biggest in the Los Angeles metro area since 2011's Carmageddon, which famously shut down the 405 Freeway.
Meanwhile, beginning on March 14, the Burbank Boulevard bridge will be permanently closed between Front Street and the San Fernando Boulevard through mid-2021.
The bridge is being demolished and replaced with a wider, longer one, Caltrans reports.
"This segment surrounding Burbank Boulevard provides the final link of carpool lanes for 13 miles across the Valley," said Caltrans District Director John Bulinski.
"The entire freeway system that exists around this particular area will be available for detours," he said.
Residents said they will bear the closures now to make the freeway better in the future.
"It will be great to have an HOV lane because it does get backed up there a lot," said one driver.
During the closure, drivers will have to use one of nine other 5 Freeway crossings in Burbank.
Along with replacing the bridge, carpool lanes will be added to the 5 Freeway. The work is all part of an ongoing $355 million project in the area to improve traffic and safety on the 5 Freeway corridor.
Caltrans said that details are still being finalized and will be announced on their social media accounts and at My5LA.com.
