'Carmageddon' freeway in Los Angeles reopens early

They survived Carmageddon, but now Los Angeles is coping with the sequel! Once again, the famous 405 freeway has been shut down, forcing Los Angeles drivers off the road. NBC News' Diana Alvear shows us how Angelenos are using this weekend to embrace car-free adventures. By NBC Los Angeles.com LOS ANGELES -- All lanes of the 405 Freeway were set to open hours ahead of schedule late Sunday night, in plenty of time for the Monday morning commute, the Mayor's Office said. Ramps along the Santa Monica Freeway that connect with the 405 began to reopen by 8:45 p.m. The process was expected to take about three hours. The news comes after a 5 p.m. press conference by Mayor Antonio Villaragosa, saying motorists could expect a 5 a.m. Monday reopening of a 10-mile stretch of the San Diego Freeway dubbed Carmageddon II. Officials were hoping for an early reopening of the freeway, but Sunday evening officials said work remained even though the bulk of the project -- deconstructing the Mulholland Drive bridge in the Sepulveda Pass -- was complete. Read the original story on NBCLosAngeles.com "First things first: We are not done yet, and the freeway will not open until 5 o'clock in the morning as we said it would," said the Mayor at a press conference on Sunday. "That being said -- we are on track." He called the project a success and thanked Los Angeles residents for cooperating with the messages of staying off the roadway, making "'Carmageddon,' 'Carma-Heaven.'" Los Angeles prepares for a massive freeway shutdown. Jinah Kim reports. "The real stars of Carmageddon II were the motorists who enjoyed a car-free weekend," he said. California Highway Patrol officers also called the closure a success, citing "minor breaches" of the closed freeway. Seven people were detained, including rollerbladers, skaters, and possibly a groom and his groomsman, the CHP said. Dan Kulka, a spokesman for the contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., said Sunday that crews still had to clear debris and sweep the roadway before the work could be complete. Engineers had to inspect the bridge work, Kulka said. Crews took advantage of the closure to take on seven weeks of maintenance projects such as trimming trees and restriping lanes, work that saved taxpayers $150,000 and will lead to fewer lane closures in the future, Villaraigosa said. The closure of the nation's busiest freeway section officially began late Friday. Officials closed the highway to demolish the north half of the Mulholland Drive overpass as part of a $1 billion upgrade to the 50-year-old freeway stretch between the Westside and the Valley. More content from NBCNews.com: Wild horses sold by US later ending up at slaughterhouses? Video: What troops in Afghanistan want from home Cops: Teen mom dumped 3-week-old baby on roadside, claimed abduction 'Smiles': New street drug tied to 'Sons of Anarchy' death Killing of wolf pack criticized by key Wash. state senator Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitterand Facebook