Full 24-hour closure of the 101 Freeway starts Saturday night for Sixth Street Viaduct work

Drivers beware – 2.5 miles of the 101 Freeway will be fully closed for 24 hours in Boyle Heights for work on the Sixth Street Viaduct.

The closure of the 101 Freeway, between the 60 and 10 freeways, starts at 10 p.m. Saturday and is expected to last until 10 p.m. Sunday, May 22. On- and off-ramps on that stretch of the 101 Freeway will also be closed.

The freeway is being closed so the City of Los Angeles' Bureau of Engineering can restore the median and make road construction repairs to the freeway under the viaduct. Caltrans will also do some slab replacement work in the closure area.

During the closure, drivers will be unable to go from the 10/101 split to the 5/10/101 interchange just east of downtown, or go west from the 60 Freeway to the 101 Freeway. LA Public works says signs will be placed to detour drivers.

The primary detour for drivers on the northbound 5 Freeway or the westbound 60 Freeway approaching the 5/10/101 interchange is the northbound 710 to the westbound 10 Freeway. Those drivers can also take the westbound 10 Freeway to the northbound 110.

Drivers coming out of the San Fernando Valley on the southbound 101 Freeway, approaching the 10/101 split can take the southbound 110 to the eastbound 10 Freeway, or the eastbound 10 to the southbound 710 Freeway.

The $588 million viaduct, which connects Boyle Heights and the Arts District, is be the largest bridge project in the history of Los Angeles. It is scheduled to be completed this summer.