'Century Crunch' closure underway Friday night

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The so-called "Century Crunch" closure began Friday night about 40 minutes after the scheduled 9 p.m. start time. Road closures are expected to cause traffic delays for people heading to Los Angeles International Airport.

Crews are planning to demolish an old bridge to clear a site for the Crenshaw/LAX light rail line station, so Century Boulevard will be closed to traffic at Aviation Boulevard beginning 9 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, July 28.

Metro spokesperson J.C. Lacey urged drivers to plan ahead.

"There are approximately 92,000 vehicles that travel through this intersection on a daily basis," Lacey said.

When lanes reopen on Monday, Century Boulevard will remain reduced by one lane in each direction for the next 16 months while crews construct the 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX line that will connect the Metro Green and Expo lines. The project is slated for completion in 2019.

Drivers can call 511 and say "Century Crunch" for real-time traffic information and recommended detour routes. Callers can also say "traffic" for traffic information on roads that provide access to the LAX area.

Traffic information will also be made available on Go511.com and the Go511 smartphone app, which is available in iTunes and Google Play.

For more information on "Century Crunch," visit Metro's website.