Carmageddon Hysteria Ramps Up

Just the Facts:

• Is Carmageddon the end of the world for L.A. motorists or just an annoying freeway closure? Los Angeles girds for what could be a terrible weekend for motorists — or an over-hyped dud.
• Carmageddon is the media's nickname for this weekend's temporary closure of a 10-mile stretch of the 405 freeway in Los Angeles as part of a $1 billion road improvement project.
• "Plan ahead, avoid the area, or stay home," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa warned on his Web site, as officials fear unprecedented chaos.

LOS ANGELES — Motorists here are girding for Carmageddon — what may be the world's biggest traffic jam — as officials close a 10-mile stretch of the 405 freeway, one of the busiest roadways in the world. The media hysteria has already reached a level on a par with the death of Michael Jackson, the Y2K frenzy and Kate and Will's wedding.

The temporary closure of the 405 freeway near LAX airport, which is used by an estimated 500,000 people every weekend, is part of a $1 billion road-improvement project to widen the highway and add an additional carpool lane. The work includes the demolition of the Mulholland Bridge. An official Countdown to Closure clock, apparently patterned after the Doomsday Clock that represents mankind's risk of destruction by nuclear war, can be viewed online. Officials also posted a YouTube video about the freeway closure.

Coverage of Carmageddon — the media's clever melding of "car" and Armageddon or the final battle between good and evil — has swept the globe. One New York media outlet, obviously given to alarmist pronouncements, speculated that the freeway closure could have the devastating effect of cutting into ticket sales of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The sequel's debut on July 15 coincides with the freeway shutdown.

Plan ahead, avoid the area or stay home," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa warned on his Web site, as officials fear unprecedented chaos.

Adopting a more tongue-in-cheek approach, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky posted a list of things to do to avoid the epic traffic jam on his Web site.

"Honor the demise of the Mulholland Bridge by holding a mini film festival of movies from 1960, the year it was completed," he said. "Some classic options include Psycho and Spartacus."

Another option: "Dust off some old board games and hold a Clue, Scrabble or Backgammon marathon. At least that little Monopoly car will still be able to zip around the board, even if the rest of Southern California is stuck in a weekend-long Sigalert."

Hollywood was abuzz with word that the Los Angeles Police Department had recruited celebrities to use Twitter to alert the masses to the impending gridlock. The LAPD asked Lady Gaga, Ashton Kutcher and Kim Kardashian to help get the word out about the freeway closure, according to media reports. But Kutcher treated it as a joke, asking for a "free pass" on a stoplight ticket in return for his help.

Inside Line says: The apocalyptic delays should be fun to watch. From a distance.