|
The
Sepulveda Tunnel
Under Mulholland Drive
in Los
Angeles
The Sepulveda Tunnel runs
underneath Mulholland
Drive and connects the
San Fernando
Valley with the west side of Los Angeles. Two lanes run north,
one runs south. It was opened in 1930. The tunnel facade
contains elements of Greek and
Roman architecture.
Inside, the tunnel is lined with tiles and has a tiny sidewalk. 
Coming up from the Valley, Sepulveda is a steep winding road with lots
of hairpin turns. Sleek sports cars slip past you before you even
hear them. Fat, lumbering SUVs cut you off, making you wonder
about those rollover statistics. They are 'fixing' Sepulveda, so
beware of extra excitement on the way up.
Approaching from the
West Side, Sepulveda is fairly straight and steep. It runs
parallel with the 405 freeway until ducking into the hills. At
night and on weekends Sepulveda has fairly light traffic. That
means most people are going 60+ miles per hour on this road.
I
have seen bicyclists going through this tunnel on the weekends.
It always reminds me of the beginning of that Warren Beatty movie where
he gets creamed in a tunnel. It is not a
structure you notice - unless it is rush hour. Then you will have
plenty of time to ponder the facade. We do not
recommend wandering around this area on foot - or bicycle.
The tunnel is slated to be widened from 3 lanes to 4. This may or
may not include changing the facade. There is another Sepulveda
Tunnel which runs underneath LAX. This
tunnel
is not marked, so we're just assuming it shares the same name.
|
A bent Falling Rock sign at the entrance to the
Sepulveda Tunnel.
One lane runs north, into the San Fernando Valley.
|
The upper corners have this symbol. It could be a ram's head or
two circles and a layered shield.
|
No longer a dirt highway, Sepulveda Blvd. runs from
the southern edges
of Los Angeles to the north.
My sister helped me take this and most of the other photos. I
shot and she drove the getaway car. Not a bad caper, eh?
|
A view of the facade facing north. This side
has fading paint at
the top. As a result, the cement
texture and interesting shading shows through. Branches of
oak and vines hang down from above. Just for a second pretend you
have discovered the secret entrance to a Roman temple.
|
The bottom of the Sepulveda Blvd. tunnel facade
appears Roman. A
tiny sidewalk for brave
souls runs through the tunnel. Outside the paint is unmatched and
peeling.
-- And don't you just want to
get a broom?
|
This side faces south. Fresh paint probably
means it is covering
graffiti. Under the ram's head is another architectural element
framed in beveled cement. The element looks like an old
electrical outlet cover. It has bolts and appears to be metal under the
paint.
|
Here's a link of a photo showing the opening of the
tunnel at The Valley
Observed
|
