Street Closures, Traffic Delays Expected Ahead Of Obama Return To SoCal
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — President Barack Obama is headed back to Southern California — and so is his street-closing, traffic-delaying presidential motorcade.
Obama will be in town Wednesday and Thursday on a fundraising trip through Beverly Hills and Orange County.
While details are still not finalized and remain highly subject to change, the closures will be over a smaller stretch of the Southland and are not expected to be as disruptive as during previous visits.
The president's itinerary for Wednesday, Feb. 15, includes:
- After 3:00 p.m.: Arrival at LAX
- Between 3:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.: Helicopter from LAX to VA Hospital in West L.A.
- Between 4:15 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.: Motorcade through the Westside to Beverly Hills fundraiser (Sunset & Wilshire likely affected)
- Between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.: Motorcade back to Beverly Hilton
Although Obama's only scheduled event on Thursday, Feb. 16, is a breakfast at the home of Jeff and Nancy Stack in Corona del Mar at 7:00 a.m., it remains unclear whether the president will travel by motorcade or helicopter to Newport Beach.
Some of the roadways likely to experience at least some early-morning disruption on Thursday include:
- 405 Freeway between West L.A. and Costa Mesa
- 73 Freeway between the 405 and Newport Coast Drive
- Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu down to Dana Point
- Newport Coast Drive
- Jamboree Road
- Macarthur Blvd.San Joaquin Hills Road
In October, Obama attended a pair of fundraisers in the Hancock Park area. The first was held at the home of movie producer James Lassiter and his wife, Mia, with actor Will Smith and former Laker Magic Johnson among those in the crowd.
The second was at the nearby home of Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith -- an event organized by the Futuro Fund, a group of Latino Obama supporters from across the nation. "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria co-hosted the event.
The president appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" during the roughly 20-hour Southland visit.
Commuters in the affected areas are urged to make alternate travel plans for any crosstown travel plans on Wednesday and Thursday.
(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
