Hollywood’s biggest event of the year may be nine days away, but already, like a slow-moving mudslide, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Oscar ceremony is causing Tinseltown streets to be closed one by one to prepare for the awards show.
The Oscars are Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, but the street and sidewalk closures begin three weeks in advance.
On Feb. 18, the Los Angeles Police Department closed Orchid Alley between Orange Drive and Orchid Avenue, just north of the Dolby Theater.
A week later, they closed the north curb lane of Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue. Much of the Hollywood Boulevard north sidewalk also is closed. They also closed the east and west curb lanes of Orange Drive from Hollywood Boulevard to Orchid Alley.
On Wednesday, they closed down portions of Hawthorn Avenue as well as the entire section of sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Dolby Theater.
Starting Thursday, traffic was completely shut down on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue.
This coming Sunday, the LAPD will close the south curb lane of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive. Hawthorn Alley behind El Capitan Theatre also will be partially closed between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue.
Hawthorn Avenue will be fully closed two days prior to the show, on March 8.
A map showing the progression of the closures, which will be even more extensive on the day before the show and the day of the show, can be found on the Oscars website.
