I-405/Sepulveda Pass Widening - Design/Build

Getting "over the hill" in Los Angeles isn't the dangerous nightmare it used to be. With Harris' contributions to the epic I-405/Sepulveda Pass Interchange Improvements project, getting from the valley to the west side and back again is a lot less stressful—and a lot safer, too.

That’s a big deal, considering that the Wilshire Boulevard interchange alone handles more than 80,000 vehicles a day—and required two additional bridge ramps just to accommodate the capacity.

Harris provided project and construction management services as part of a broader LACMTA (Metro) team, including Caltrans and the City and County of Los Angeles.

Core Elements

This billion-dollar widening improvement project included:

• 18 interchanges
• Realigning 20 on- and off-ramps with signalization
• The addition of a 10-mile HOV lane
• Replacement of three bridges
• 18 miles of retaining walls and soundwalls

The utility conflicts alone were extensive enough to warrant their own $175 million utility relocation budget. A five-person team helped coordinate directly with utilities for this intensive effort.

Beyond the Blueprints

Redoing one of L.A.’s busiest freeways required extensive public outreach. This project featured a 40-person community advisory panel which met monthly, hosting representatives from each of Los Angeles’ community advisory groups.

Here, groups could air any issues in advance, and the team could respond. Metro, supported by Harris, complemented the monthly meetings with quarterly e-mail blasts and briefings to the public—helping to manage expectations and stave off the “Carmageddon” which the media teasingly feared would occur.