The operation unfolded so smoothly and uneventfully that, by noon Sunday, officials allowed traffic to resume on the southbound portion of the freeway. Northbound traffic resumed a few minutes later, and Carmageddon was history. Kiewit’s Kulka says his company is just happy for the opportunity.

“We’ve built some part of every freeway here in L.A. – almost every highway you drive upon here, we’ve had some part of it along the way,” he says. “We’re honored to be just a little part of the history of Los Angeles.”