(Los Alamitos, 8/13/2011) The moment we’ve all been dreading is coming at 5 a.m. this Sunday, August 19 No, I’m not talking about Santana’s next start for the Angels–that’s Wednesday, I believe.

I’m referring to the reduction of the six lane Seal Beach Blvd. bridge over the 405 freeway to one public lane in each direction, with a center median dedicated solely to emergency services vehicles.

This work is necessary as crews work to reconstruct the Seal Beach Blvd. bridge in order to accommodate additional carpool lanes on the I-405 freeway below.

In addition, Seal Beach Boulevard will be closed nightly, Thursday, Aug. 16 through Saturday, Aug. 18, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., from N. Gate Rd. to Old Ranch Parkway, so that crews can install k-rail and adjust roadway striping prior to the lane reduction on Sunday morning. Intermittent nighttime closures of the bridge will continue over the next few weeks, during bridge demolition and other similar activity.

After about 11 months, the half of the bridge that was torn down will be opened with two lanes in each direction while the other half will be torn down & rebuilt.  In about two years we’ll have a new bridge wide enough to accommodate the carpool connector lanes.

Click here for OCTD’s alternate route map  to see their recommended detours.

We’ve actually got quite a few choices if to get from one side of the 405 to the other: [ad]

1. Forget about it.  (more on this option at # 9 below)
2. Don’t go during peak traffic hours.
3. Go in an ambulance, firetruck, or police vehicle.
4. Ride a bike, walk, or jog.  Seriously, Los Al & Rossmoor residents, what a great excuse to take the Coyote Creek to San Gabriel River bikeway to the beach with the fam!  Safest access is on the north side of Oak Middle School.
5. Go west to Studebaker, Palo Verde, or Woodruff, where you can get across.
6. Go east to Valley View, Knott, or Beach  the closest surface streets  to the west with a bridge over the 405.
7. If you live or are in Los Alamitos. Rossmoor, or west Cypress get on the 605 south at Katella take it to the newly reopened connector to the 405 south, and get off at Seal Beach Blvd. going south.
8. If you live or are in Seal Beach south of the 405, take get on the freeway eastbound to Valley View, go north to Lampson & cut back to Seal Beach/Los Al Blvd.
9. Find alternatives on your side of the freeway for shopping, dining, schools, church, doctors, recreation.  Why not change it up a bit?  You’ve got an excuse to try some new things.  Or just stay home.