Southbound 405 Freeway in Orange County reopens early

A four-mile stretch of the southbound 405 Freeway in Orange County reopened to traffic two hours ahead of schedule Sunday thanks to the quick work of a demolition crew hired to remove a freeway connector bridge.

The southbound lanes of the 405 between the 605 and 22 freeways were reopened at 2:50 p.m., California Department of Transportation officials said. The closed northbound lanes at Valley View Street were still being cleared of debris and should open soon, officials said.

Three police vehicles and a California Highway Patrol vehicle led the procession of cars on the reopened section of the freeway.

The freeway closure enabled workers to demolish a 50-year-old connector bridge as part of a $277-million project to link carpool lanes for the 405, 22 and 605 freeways. The last section of the bridge was knocked down about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, broken up and hauled away.

Dozens of steel plates placed on the freeway to protect it from 3,600 tons of falling concrete were then removed and the roadway inspected before it was reopened to traffic, officials said.

The affected section of the 405 is one of the busiest stretches of road in the country. More than 300,000 vehicles pass through it on an average summer weekend day.

Drivers had to resort to alternate routes or maneuver through detours on surface streets since the freeway closed at 9 p.m. Saturday.

Transportation officials have been referring to the closure as the “Bridge Bash,” but the Orange County Register, not satisfied with the moniker, held a naming contest. Suggestions included Orangeageddon, Carzilla and Clogwork Orange. Orange Jam was the winner.

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matthew.hamilton@latimes.com