405 Freeway closures for Bushard Street bridge work set to continue through April

Work on the Bushard Street bridge over the 405 Freeway in Fountain Valley will require weeknight closures of parts of the freeway through April, according to the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Crews are constructing falsework, or temporary framework structures, for the bridge, which was demolished last year so it could be rebuilt as part of a larger plan to widen the freeway. The new bridge will still have four lanes, along with sidewalks and bike lanes in each direction.

OCTA said ramp, lane and full freeway closures on the northbound side of the 405 between Slater Avenue and Warner Avenue will continue from 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. weeknights through Wednesday. Lane access will be reduced on the southbound side as well.

That will be followed by ramp, lane and full freeway closures on the southbound side of the 405 between Warner and Slater from 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. weeknights beginning Thursday and lasting about a week, OCTA said. Lane access will be reduced on the northbound side as well.

Detours will be in effect during the closures.

The bridge is one of 18 that will be replaced, enlarged or built as part of a $1.9-billion project to widen the 405 between the 73 Freeway in Costa Mesa and the 605 Freeway near Rossmoor.

Once that project is completed in 2023, both directions of the freeway on the 16-mile stretch will have an additional general-purpose lane and a new “express” toll lane, according to OCTA. The existing carpool lane in each direction will be converted to an express lane.

For more information about the project, visit octa.net/405improvement.

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