“˜Rampture’ will shut down 405 Freeway exits at Wilshire Boulevard starting June 22

Some UCLA students are already preparing for freeway closures beginning in June that will increase travel times to and from campus.

Starting June 22, the ramps from Wilshire Boulevard to the 405 Freeway will be closed for construction for at least 90 days as part of a yearlong construction project on the freeway. The project is expected to double the commute time for drivers who are dependent on the Wilshire ramps, as well as neighboring on-ramps, to get on the freeway, said Clinton Quan, transportation engineer assistant at the California Department of Transportation.

The construction project will be adding a northbound carpool lane, Quan said. The Wilshire on-and-off ramps will be rebuilt as well.

Safety concerns about drivers simulataneously entering and exiting the freeway prompted the project, said David Karwaski, UCLA Transportation planning and policy manager.

Rather than merging the on- and off-ramps together, one ramp will be built over the other to avoid possible collisions. The new elongated ramps may also help reduce traffic lineups on Wilshire Boulevard, though it is unclear how significant the changes will be, Karwaski said.

Satinderpal Kehal, a fifth-year English student, said she already tries to avoid the 405 Freeway as much as possible because of existing traffic issues.

“I don’t exit at Wilshire,” Kehal said. Her daily commute from Santa Clarita to UCLA takes about an hour and 10 minutes, and she comes through Bel Air as an alternate route, she said.

Magali Limeta, a fourth-year anthropology student, said she will try to avoid driving entirely during the closures, if possible. She added that she expects it will take longer to get to places.

The construction on the ramps will force commuters who normally get off the Wilshire exit on the 405 to use neighboring exits, or local alternative routes.

Construction may also affect nearby streets and entrances. For instance, Sepulveda Way, which connects Sunset and Sepulveda boulevards, will be closed, meaning commuters will have to turn left before Sepulveda Boulevard in order to reach the off-ramp.

For northbound commuters leaving campus, there will be a temporary on-ramp opened off Sunset Avenue, which will possibly redirect some traffic from Wilshire, Karwaski said. The Santa Monica Boulevard exit will remain open.

Commuters who normally use the Wilshire ramps will have to use the Santa Monica Boulevard or Sunset Boulevard ramps, Quan said.

UCLA Transportation offers services such as subsidized public transit passes and a vanpool program, which can help students navigate the construction.

Taken together, the entire project will take about a year, Karwaski said. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency in charge of the construction, has separated the intersection of Wilshire and 405 into four quadrants, though the order in which the quadrants will be constructed is still tentative.

Information regarding construction on the 405 is available on the Metro website.