Freeway Rehab Project Through the Sepulveda Pass Has Been Put On Hold
The planned Caltrans District 7 project to rehabilitate pavement along a key stretch of Interstate 405 through the Sepulveda Pass has been postponed following community pushback and ongoing debris removal from January’s devastating Pacific Palisades wildfire.
The $1.1 billion Sepulveda Pass Pavement Rehabilitation Project, originally slated to begin in mid-May, will now be delayed until further notice, according to CD 11 City Councilmember Traci Park.
Park stated in her latest newsletter, “Many of you heard about planned paving work on the 405 freeway through the Sepulveda Pass, which is already a traffic nightmare during peak hours. With all of the extra trucks and traffic diverted off PCH, CalTrans has agreed to postpone the work until PCH reopens. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated.”
The five-year project spans Victory Boulevard to Wilshire Boulevard and includes repaving lanes and modifying on and off-ramps to meet ADA standards. Nighttime and weekend ramp closures were expected throughout the repair project, which is scheduled to run through 2029.
South Brentwood Residents Association raised an alarm, which they announced through their newsletter. Their main concern: mounting gridlock caused by the Pacific Palisades debris removal operation, which has required up to 500 trucks daily traveling from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
SBRC pointed out that the intersection of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)—a route that typically handles more than 48,000 vehicles per day—remains closed to nonresidents. As a result, large volumes of traffic have been diverted through the already congested Sepulveda Pass and San Fernando Valley roadways, causing more gridlock.
In response, SBRA coordinated with representatives from Councilmember Traci Park, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, and State Senator Ben Allen. The officials arranged a multi-agency meeting with Caltrans to advocate for a pause in the paving work until conditions on PCH normalize.
It is believed that even with the upcoming meeting and Councilmember Park’s announcement that community members should submit questions or feedback about the project to Caltrans at repave.405@dot.ca.gov. SBRA has suggested that concerned residents copy them in the email at info@southbrentwood.org.
