As widening work continues, section of the 405 Freeway to close overnight this weekend

Got plans early Sunday morning, Dec. 30? If they involve the 405 Freeway, be aware that a section is scheduled to be closed for nine hours beginning at 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29.

Both directions of the freeway between Warner Avenue and Beach Boulevard are expected to shut down until 8 a.m. Sunday for demolition of half of the Magnolia Street bridge, which straddles the cities of Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and Westminster.

Northbound drivers will be detoured off the freeway at Warner Avenue, and southbound drivers will be rerouted to surface streets at Beach Boulevard.

Over the next five years, the Orange County Transportation Agency will add two lanes on each side of the 16-mile stretch between Costa Mesa and the Los Angeles County line.

The Magnolia bridge is the fourth of more than 18 bridges to be built, widened or replaced as part of the I-405 Improvement Project. It will be demolished and reconstructed in two stages – allowing it to remain open to traffic during 18 months of construction, the OCTA said in an announcement.

The $1.9 billion project will result in two pay-to-use express lanes, which can be accessed by vehicles carrying multiple passengers at no charge. Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, will fund the bulk of the cost.

A low-interest, 35-year loan of $629 million will be paid off by revenue from the express lanes, which will require transponders for use. Fees will range from $10 at rush hour to 50 cents at nighttime.

The transportation authority estimates that traffic on the 405 will grow 35 percent by 2040. For more information, go to octa.net/405improvement.