“The Santa Monica Mountains form a natural barrier between the San Fernando Valley and the west side of the Los Angeles Basin. North/south traffic traveling between those areas is funneled primarily through the Sepulveda Corridor. The I-405 Freeway and adjacent Sepulveda Boulevard carry more than 400,000 vehicles per day through the Corridor, a number that is expected to grow to more than 475,000 over the next decade.

In 2009, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) embarked on Southern California’s largest design-build project to try to reduce congestion, improve mobility, and increase safety through the Sepulveda Corridor. The $1.7 billion I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvement Project added a 10-mile northbound HOV lane between the I-10 and US-101 freeways, three major bridge replacements (Sunset Boulevard, Skirball Center Drive and Mulholland Drive), and 13 bridge widenings. Unfortunately, these improvements have not alleviated congestion through the Sepulveda Corridor. Metro is currently planning additional transit projects for the area.”