Solution to 405 backup nightmare: east/west tunnels under Wilshire & Santa Monica
I wonder if a tunnel like the Park Avenue Tunnel in New York City, that ran under the 405 cross on some of of the East/West arteries (i.e. Santa Monica, Wilshire, Olympic, or Pico) would help move the East/West traffic enough to help with the North/South traffic.
Imagine the follow scenario:
1. you’re driving East on Santa Monica five blocks before the 405 and in the middle of the road is a ramp down into a tunnel like the one attached.
2. you enter it and there are TWO LANES with no lights that travel for 10 blocks.
3. you come out of the tunnel five blocks east of the 405 mess.
Of course during the morning the two lanes would shift to move WEST BOUND traffic under the 405/Santa Monica exchange.
I’m guessing (does anyone know?) that at least half the traffic during rush hour is simply passing by the 405. This would accomplish two goals:
a) get folks heading east and west quickly on their way
b) get folks heading east and west out of the way of folks getting on the 405
c) a much bigger pocket around the 405 for cars to queue up in
Someone has to have thought of this yes?
Thoughts?
