1. I-405 is one of the busiest freeways in the nation, and the Sepulveda
Pass (between the main part of LA [the "Basin"] and the San Fernando Valley)
is the busiest part of the 405. There really isn't a good alternative route;
the only other freeway is US 101 (Hollywood Fwy), which is normally very
busy also.
2. An old bridge has been removed (with weekend shutdowns to allow it) and a
new bridge is going up. There really is no safe way to do this work without
either shutting down the freeway for a marathon push, or shutting down lanes
during weekdays for weeks.
So this whole business and all the hassles for motorists (except M-F
commuters) is helping planners to see the effects of the closure of a major
freeway, thankfully not for months as with the I-10 after the Northridge
quake. "The Big One" could have just this effect.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kim Noyes" <kimnoyes@gmail.com>
To: "CaliforniaDisasters" <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "DailyBrief" <DailyBrief@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 8:09 PM
Subject: [californiadisasters] UCLA Med Center Gets Ready for Carmageddon
> UCLA Medical Center Gets Ready for 405 Closure The hospital is in the
> middle of what's expected to be a traffic nightmare.
> By Ted Chen, Hernan Vazquez and Neil Costes - KNBC-TV Los Angeles
> | Tuesday, Jul 5, 2011 | Updated 6:54 PM PDTAs transplants from Canada
> and Michigan, UCLA Nurses Nidhi Ralhan and Alana Wilson had just gotten
used
> to LA traffic. It's just their luck they'll be working on "Carmageddon"
> weekend.
>
> "Dreading congestion," Ralhan said, "just knowing that it's going to be
> really congested and hot."
>
> More than 1,000 UCLA medical employees will be working July 15 through the
> 17th, the weekend when the 405 will be shut down from the 10 to the 101.
>
> UCLA Medical Center is smack in the middle of what's expected to be a
> traffic nightmare.
>
> To make sure employees get to work on time, UCLA Health System Chief
> Operating Officer Shannon O'Kelley says workers who live nearby have
traded
> shifts with those who don't, and hotel rooms and dorm rooms have been
> reserved for overnight stays.
>
> "We have housing that's built into the building that our residents can
use,"
> O'Kelly said. "We also have outpatient areas where our staff could use in
> an emergency."
>
> Family members of patients are being told to minimize visits during the
> weekend of the closure.
> People with medical emergencies are urged to call 911 and not risk getting
> stuck in traffic trying to drive to the hospital.
>
> Since ambulances also might get trapped, UCLA hospitals plan to use more
> helicopters.
>
> "We don't quite know what to expect," said William Dunn, UCLA's Director
of
> Emergency Preparedness. "If it's the worst case scenario, we're going to
be
> prepared. If it's the best case scenario, we'll be happy, and I'll be
able
> to play a little more solitaire."
>
> Source:
>
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/UCLA-Medical-Center-Gets-Ready-for-4
05-Closure-125051949.html?__source=Newsletter-Daily
> --
> Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
> Read our blog at http://eclecticarcania.blogspot.com/
> Visit me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/derkimster
>
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