'Carmageddon' the sequel begins on L.A. freeways

• Part of Interstate 405 is closed for the weekend
• Contractor faces penalty if work isn't done in 53 hours
• During last year's shutdown, crews finished early

LOS ANGELES -- Southern California drivers appeared to be heeding warnings of a potential traffic meltdown Saturday and were generally staying clear of routes around the weekend closure of one of the nation's busiest freeways.

"It looks like a very light day in the county of Los Angeles,'' said Bruce Gillman, spokesman for a joint agency command center for the major freeway shutdown. "We are very appreciative of people's cooperation.''

The weekend shutdown of a 10-mile section of I-405 in Los Angeles, a key link between the city's west side and the San Fernando Valley to the north, sparked fears for a second time that a construction project could trigger massive traffic snarls across car-dependent Southern California.

The first of two planned shutdowns, in July 2011, produced one of the lightest traffic weekends in memory as people stayed away from what was billed as a potential "Carmageddon'' nightmare on streets and highways.

"It looks like people are following the same path as last year," Gillman said.

Like the original, this year's sequel was necessary, city leaders said, to demolish a bridge overpass that carries Mulholland Drive traffic across the freeway to make way for a replacement. The project is part of a larger one widening and adding a car-pool lane to I-405.

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority said police were enforcing restrictions aimed at keeping trucks off of Sepulveda Boulevard, which roughly parallels the freeway through the Sepulveda Pass. Trucks were directed to use alternate freeways that take a route through downtown Los Angeles.

The L.A. police issued updates on conditions and reported construction was proceeding as expected. Work is to be completed and the freeway reopened in time for the Monday morning rush hour.

The contractor faces a penalty if the work is not done in 53 hours.

Some 250,000 vehicles a day regularly travel I-405, Metro says.

Traffic approaching the closure area from the South was being routed onto I-10, which heads eastward to downtown.

Gillis said so far the closure had not created traffic problems for people headed west of the closure to beaches and Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu areas.

Traffic was normal at Los Angeles International Airport, spokeswoman Nancy Castles said.