LA Traffic Is Gonna Get Messy During The Summit Of The Americas — Here's How To Get Around

We know it, we hate it: Big events and commute delays are Los Angeles’ toxic couple.

President Joe Biden is meeting with leaders at the L.A. Convention Center this week Wednesday through Friday for the ninth Summit of the Americas, and traffic is already a headache.

The summit is causing “temporary changes to traffic patterns” that are impacting streets, highways and freeways, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti in a statement.

There’s a list of week-long road closures and detours, and others that will only impact L.A. for a specific period.

As with any L.A. traffic, expect for these pathways to be backed up even before the closures. Here's a rundown on what to avoid:

Getting Around LA Streets And Freeways

Downtown L.A. will bear the brunt of delays through noon Saturday.

For freeways, the city recommends people avoid traveling between the 10 and 101 freeways, as well as east of the 110 freeway. The interchanges between both sides of the 10 Freeway to 110 Freeway North will stay closed.

On Thursday, on Pacific Coast Highway from Coastline Drive to the Santa Monica tunnel, there will be one southbound lane “dedicated to emergency vehicles from noon to 10 p.m.”

Plan to bypass the northbound 110 Freeway exits of Pico Boulevard, 9th Street, 6th Street, 4th Street, and 3rd Street, which are closed through Saturday. Stay away from the southbound exits for 6th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, too.

If you’re trying to get into downtown, steer clear of these street closures throughout the week:

• Figueroa Street, north and south, between Washington Boulevard and 3rd Street
• Pico Boulevard, east and west directions, between Union Avenue and Grand Avenue
• Seventh Street, east and westbound, between Bixel Street and Flower Street
• Wilshire Boulevard, in both directions, between Bixel Street and Flower Street

These streets are expected to be closed on Friday only, according to CalTrans:

• Grand Avenue, from Fifth to Temple Street
• Hope Street, from Fourth to Temple Street
• First Street, from Dewap Road to Hill Street
• Second Street, between Hope and Olive Street

To drive into downtown, the city recommends people use these freeway exits:

• If you’re driving west on the 10 Freeway, use these exits: 16A Santa Fe, 15B Alameda Street, 15A Central Ave, 14B San Pedro Street and 14A Convention Center.
• If you’re driving east on the 10 Freeway, use these exits: Convention Center/Grand Avenue/Olive Street, 14A Maple Avenue, 14B San Pedro Street, 15A Central Avenue, 15B Alameda Street and 16A Santa Fe Avenue.
• If you’re driving north on the 110 Freeway, use these exits: 20B 37th Street and Exposition Boulevard and 20C Adams Boulevard. You can also use the 10 or 101 Freeway transitions that go east or west.

Delays For Public Transit

There aren’t any plans for suspended or canceled routes during the summit, according to the city, but some buses are being rerouted. Some changes will be only on Friday, while others are all week.

The L.A. Metro has a detailed list of detours in English and Spanish.

It’s best to check with the agency you’re riding with to make sure you're up to date on the latest changes. Here’s where to find out about detours as they come in:

• The L.A. Department of Transportation’s Rider Alerts (available online and on Twitter at @LADOTOfficial or @@LADOTTransit)
• L.A. Metro Alerts on Twitter @MetroLAAlerts
• The city’s emergency public information Twitter, UnifiedLA

Rolling Traffic Jams At LAX

The city recommends that people traveling to and from LAX plan extra time to get to their destinations.

Fly LAX Stats on Twitter regularly shares updated traffic estimates through LAX, including parking and drive times to different terminals.

Saturday, June 11, may be the busiest day as people fly out.