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If you're already lamenting traffic in downtown L.A., we have more bad news for you on the horizon: a major offramp on the 110 freeway and a part of 6th Street near the L.A. Public Library will be on full closure for five months.
As explained at The Source, Metro's blog, the closures will run from June 3 to November 4. The southbound 6th Street off-ramp from the 110 Freeway will be shut down, and from there 6th Street itself will be closed between Figueroa and Hope streets.
So, detours!
As advised by Metro, if you're trying to exit and go south from the 110 Freeway, you should use the 4th Street off-ramp to get to Grand Avenue, which brings you back to 6th Street. If you're going northbound, you should take the 9th Street offramp to avoid delays. And if you're driving east on 6th Street and approaching the closure, you'll be directed south on Bixel Street, east on 7th Street, north on Olive Street and then back on to 6th. Also of note; there'll be local access to the AON Center, The Standard Hotel, and the Pegasus Apartments. Access will be on 6th Street, but you have to access that street from Hope.
Here's a map of where the closures will take place, as well as graphics indicating some of the detours:
Also, for those of you taking public transit, several Metro bus lines will be impacted by the closure. Eastbound lines 16, 17, 18, 316 and 720 will detour at Wilshire Boulevard between Valencia and Hope Street and return to their regular route at 6th Street. Stops for these lines will be put on Wilshire at Witmer Street, Lucas Avenue and St. Paul Ave. As for the westbound line 460 and northbound lines 442, 910 and 950, they will detour at Hope Street between Olympic Boulevard and 6th Street, with stops set up on eastbound Olympic at Figueroa Street and on northbound Hope Street at Wilshire. These lines will then return to their regular route at 6th Street.
So what's with the protracted closure? It's all for construction work on the Regional Connector that's slated to open in 2021. The 1.9-mile underground project is meant to connect the Expo Line, Blue Line and Gold Line, and will open new stops at 1st Street and Central Avenue, 2nd Street and Broadway, and 2nd Place and Hope Street.
This isn't the only prolonged closure on Sixth. As you may already have heard, the Sixth Street Viaduct was torn down in 2016 to make way for a new one, which is planned for a 2020 opening.
