405 northbound lanes opened early Sunday

Traffic was a mess most of Saturday around the I-405 freeway heading north into Sepulveda Pass and through the Santa Monica Mountains into the San Fernando Valley. At one point in the early evening, I saw a freeway sign on the 10 warning drivers of 60 minute delays on the northbound freeway. That's because three lanes were closed all day for paving. It worked: Metro, the agency in charge of the massive 405 upgrade and widening project, announced that the weekend work was completed by midnight on Saturday. It went to so well that no full shutdown of the northbound freeway was required, as originally threatened.

"Metro thanks motorists for their patience following lane reductions on the northbound I-405 that caused significant delays Saturday," the agency's blog, The Source, posted today. "The extended lane reductions, however, enabled the contractor to safely and aggressively perform needed paving work in the area. As a result, the contractor completed work 29 hours ahead of schedule, sparing drivers from another day and a half of adverse traffic impacts."

LA Observed file photo of construction work on the 405 freeway