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This aerial photo shows Interstate 405 in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 16, 2011. A 53-hour shutdown of a 10-mile stretch of one of the region's most critical freeways began Saturday to allow partial demolition of the Mulholland Drive bridge. M.Heller, Associated Press
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UC Riverside photography professor Peter Holzhauer is silhouetted as he carries his view camera near the Mulholland Drive bridge on Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 16, 2011. Southern Californians appeared Saturday to be willing to make the u Jae C. Hong, Associated Press
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This aerial photo shows Interstate 405 in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 16, 2011. The Getty Center is seen at right. A 53-hour shutdown of a 10-mile stretch of one of the region's most critical freeways began Saturday to allow partial demolition of the Mu M.Heller, Associated Press
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Empty traffic lanes are seen during a short escorted tour of the Interstate 405 roadbed during the demolition of two lanes of the Mulholland Drive bridge in Los Angeles Saturday, July 16, 2011. Reed Saxon, Associated Press
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This aerial photo shows the on ramp from the 10 Freeway West to Interstate 405 North and the on and off ramp from the 405 freeway to the 10 Freeway going east and west in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 16, 2011. A 53-hour shutdown of a 10-mile stretch of o M.Heller, Associated Press
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Construction workers take down the Mulholland Drive bridge over Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 16, 2011. Southern Californians appeared Saturday to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to avoid the dreaded "Carmageddon" "” leaving thei Reed Saxon, Associated Press
By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — It's been anything but "Carmageddon." But Southern California drivers haven't steered clear of trouble just yet.

The traffic many thought would be a nightmare has instead been lighter than normal as Los Angeles neared the halfway point of the weekend-long shutdown of a 10-mile stretch of one of the region's most critical freeways — Interstate 405 — to allow partial demolition of a bridge.

For months motorists were warned to stay home or find new routes during the closure, and on Saturday most people listened.

But some officials including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were worried that drivers would get complacent and return to the roads on Sunday, so the warnings continued.

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The freeway is scheduled to reopen early Monday.

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