If you’re sitting in your car staring at a sea of brake lights near the Sepulveda Pass, you probably don’t need a news report to tell you that 405 freeway traffic right now is, well, typical. But "typical" in 2026 has taken on a whole new meaning. It's not just the sheer volume of cars anymore. It's the $143 million "pavement rehabilitation" project that seems to have turned the stretch between Van Nuys and Westwood into a permanent obstacle course.
Honestly, we've all been there. You check the map, see a sliver of green, and think, "Maybe I'll make it to Santa Monica in twenty minutes." Ten minutes later, you're crawling at 5 mph past the Getty Center.
Why the Sepulveda Pass feels like a parking lot today
The biggest culprit for the mess today isn't just the usual morning or afternoon rush. Caltrans is currently in the thick of a massive project to replace two full lanes in each direction from Victory Boulevard down to Mulholland Drive. We’re talking about nearly 92 lane miles of restoration.
Because of this, you’ve likely noticed that the lanes feel narrower or the transitions are suddenly bumpy. That's by design—or at least a byproduct of the constant shifting. Right now, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, crews are working on overnight demolition and median barrier updates. Even though the heavy lifting happens after 9 p.m., the residual effects linger.
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Crews just finished an "extended weekend closure" that ended Monday morning, January 12. These 55-hour marathons are happening about twice a month. If you feel like the freeway never quite "recovers" from the weekend, you're not imagining it. The setup for these closures often involves early lane tapers that start well before the Friday night deadline.
The 405 Express Lanes and the Orange County squeeze
If you’re heading south into Orange County, the story changes but the headache remains the same. The I-405 Improvement Project in the OC is basically in its "final" stages, but "final" is a relative term in California construction.
The 405 Express Lanes—those two-lane toll corridors from SR-73 to I-605—have changed the math for everyone. If you’re a solo driver, you’re paying a premium to move. If you’re in the general-purpose lanes, you’re dealing with the "bottleneck effect" where the freeway narrows near the Brookhurst and Magnolia bridges.
Current closures to watch out for today:
- Southbound I-405 connector to northbound/southbound I-5 in Irvine is seeing nightly closures (2300 to 0500) through January 17.
- Pavement rehab work is causing intermittent lane reductions near the Skirball Center.
- If you're coming from the Valley, expect the Victory Blvd on-ramps to be tighter than usual due to equipment staging.
The myth of "just one more lane"
There is a lot of talk about how widening the 405 was supposed to fix this. It didn't. In fact, many urban planners point to this specific freeway as the poster child for "induced demand." You build a lane, and more people decide to drive.
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Basically, the 405 is a victim of its own necessity. It’s the primary artery between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside. Without a viable rail alternative through the pass—though Metro is finally moving toward a heavy rail subway for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor—the freeway bears 100% of the burden.
Survival strategies for the 405 right now
You can’t always avoid it. Sometimes the 405 is the only way. But there are ways to make it suck less.
First, stop trusting the "estimated time" on your dash if it’s between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Add a 15-minute "buffer of sanity."
Second, utilize the Caltrans QuickMap. It’s arguably more accurate for real-time lane closures than some of the big-name navigation apps because it pulls directly from the CHP (California Highway Patrol) and Caltrans dispatch.
Third, consider the "side-street gamble." Sepulveda Boulevard is the obvious backup, but on days like today, when the 405 is backed up to the 101 interchange, Sepulveda usually chokes up within minutes. If the 405 is deep red, Sepulveda will be too.
What to expect for the rest of January 2026
We aren't out of the woods. Caltrans has about 25 of those "extended weekend" closures planned for this project. The next big one is scheduled for the weekend of January 23–26. If you have plans to head to LAX or move between the Valley and the Westside that weekend, start looking for a different plan now.
Next Steps for Your Commute:
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- Check the weekend schedule: If you're traveling next weekend, verify if the "three-lane reduction" is active between Getty Center Drive and Bel Air Crest Road.
- Set alerts for QuickMap: Use the mobile app to get push notifications for the specific "District 7" area.
- Watch the weather: Even a light drizzle in SoCal turns the 405 into a disaster zone due to the oil buildup on the new pavement sections.
The 405 is a beast. It’s been under construction in some form for decades, and 2026 is proving to be no different. Just remember: everyone else in that line of traffic is just as frustrated as you are. Breathe, put on a podcast, and keep an eye on those brake lights.