Wilshire Onramp Opens

The "Ramp Jam" is finally over on the Westside. The Wilshire Boulevard onramp to the northbound 405 Freeway reopened Thursday after a two-month closure.

This was the last ramp on that interchange that needed to be rebuilt. The ramp closure caused many headaches and complaints about gridlock from residents living near the freeway.

Metro spokesman Dave Sotero explained what's new about the newly rebuilt onramp.

"This particular ramp is a flyover ramp," Sotero said. "So it's three times as long as the former ramp, and it allows cars to more safely merge onto the I-405. So it's a key improvement, ... a lot more ability for vehicles to queue on the ramps rather than Sepulveda Boulevard or Wilshire Boulevard."

The ramp work was part of Metro's three-year, $1 billion 405 Freeway expansion project between the 10 and 101 freeways.

"Cars will be able to cue onto the ramps rather than being stuck on Wilshire at Sepulveda Boulevard, so it's going to help keep traffic moving, keep cars off the streets," Metro spokesperson Dave Sotero said.

The northbound ramp is the last of eight ramps in the Wilshire Interchange overhaul, impacting drivers for months.

"Its been a long time coming. Hopefully it works, hopefully it decreases the amount of traffic," a driver said.

The ramp is expected to handle anticipated traffic loads until 2030.

The new freeway ramp at the Wilshire/I-405 Interchange opened at 6 a.m. Thursday as part of the ongoing Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project, transportation officials said.

The new northbound "flyover" ramp " is approximately three times the length of the original ramp, providing substantial increased capacity as well as key safety improvements for LA motorists," officials said.

It had been closed since Aug. 22 when the old ramp, built in 1950, was demolished.