Drivers crossing Los Angeles on the San Diego (405) Freeway face a slow night on Monday, November 9. Caltrans will close lanes, ramps and freeway connectors through the Sepulveda Pass from 9 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday for shoulder reconstruction and paving work, and the same overnight pattern repeats on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13, according to Caltrans, as reported by MyNewsLA on November 9.
Source: MyNewsLA
The Sepulveda Pass is the mountain crossing that carries the 405 between the San Fernando Valley in the north and the Westside of Los Angeles, including the route toward Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), in the south. The work zone runs between Van Nuys and Westwood. In some areas in both directions the speed limit is reduced to 55 mph because of the paving work, Caltrans said.
Northbound closures: up to three lanes shut in two stretches
On the northbound 405, up to three lanes will close between Sepulveda Boulevard and Victory Boulevard, and up to three more lanes will close between Skirball Center Drive/Mulholland Drive and Wilshire Boulevard. Three sets of northbound ramps also close during the work hours: the Getty Center Drive off- and on-ramps to the northbound 405, the Burbank Boulevard off- and on-ramps to the northbound 405, and the Sepulveda Boulevard on-ramp to the northbound 405.
Southbound closures: up to four lanes shut below the 101
The heaviest cut is southbound, toward the Westside and LAX. Up to four southbound lanes will close between the Ventura (101) Freeway and Skirball Center Drive/Mulholland Drive. The Sepulveda Boulevard off- and on-ramps to the southbound 405 close, and so does the Burbank Boulevard on-ramp to the southbound 405.
All three connectors between the 101 and the 405 close during the work hours: the northbound 101 connector to the southbound 405, the northbound 101 connector to the northbound 405, and the southbound 101 connector to the northbound 405. A driver who normally swaps between the Ventura Freeway and the 405 at this interchange will have to stay on one freeway or use surface streets instead.
Background: a 10.2-mile repave that runs into winter 2027
The closures are part of the I-405 Pavement Rehabilitation Project, a $143.7 million project covering a 10.2-mile stretch of the freeway between Van Nuys and Westwood, according to Caltrans. The project replaces sections of two lanes in each direction from Victory Boulevard to Mulholland Drive and rebuilds shoulders, with the stated aim of improving safety and mobility and extending the life of the freeway pavement. Construction started in summer 2025 and is projected to finish in winter 2027, with plant establishment work continuing into 2028.
This week's nights are one instalment in a long programme, not a one-off. Caltrans says the temporary 55 mph speed reduction, first applied on May 26, 2026, and the uneven pavement conditions that go with paving are expected to remain in place through winter 2026 and into early spring 2027. The project also includes about 25 extended weekend lane closures of roughly 55 hours each, and about 15 to 20 short full closures overnight between midnight and 5 a.m. across the life of the project.
Caltrans advises motorists to check QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) for current road conditions before travelling, because closure times, locations and lane setups can change at short notice for weather or operational reasons. Residents and businesses near the work may notice noise, vibration and dust.
For the Punjabi diaspora and for truckers, the timing matters more than the daytime picture. The closures are overnight only, so daytime and evening trips through the pass are not directly affected — but overnight freight runs between the Valley, the Westside and LAX, airport pickups for late-arriving flights, and early-morning starts that leave home before 6 a.m. all pass through exactly the hours when the freeway is at its narrowest. A southbound driver who finds four lanes gone and the 101 connectors shut has no quick parallel freeway: the realistic alternatives are Sepulveda Boulevard itself and much longer detours.
What happens next: the same 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. closure pattern is scheduled again on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13. No closures on this project were listed for Saturday or Sunday nights in the current schedule. Caltrans warns that the schedule is subject to change, so the last check before any overnight trip this week should be QuickMap, not this article.