The Los Angeles Convention Center is in the middle of a huge transformation, with a $2.6 billion expansion and modernization project underway in Downtown L.A. The work is expected to significantly increase the venue’s exhibition and meeting space ahead of the city’s major events later this decade, but construction is also bringing some temporary changes for drivers in the area.
New road closures near the Convention Center begin Monday, August 31, adding another layer of traffic disruptions around South Park. The restrictions will mainly affect parts of Venice Boulevard and Figueroa Street during daytime construction hours.
Road closures starting this week
From August 31 through September 11, with a break for Labor Day weekend, construction will affect traffic around the Convention Center from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The biggest change for drivers is on westbound Venice Boulevard, where lanes between the 110 Freeway/Convention Center Drive and Figueroa Street will close during work hours. One eastbound lane will remain open.
There is also a new restriction on northbound Figueroa Street: drivers will not be able to make a left turn onto Venice Boulevard during the scheduled work period. Anyone heading to the Convention Center’s South Dock Ramp, South Garage, Venice Garage, or Convention Center Drive will instead need to approach from 15th Drive via southbound Figueroa Street.
For westbound Venice Boulevard, the posted detour will take drivers north on Figueroa Street, west on Olympic Boulevard and south on Union Avenue before reconnecting with Venice Boulevard. The daytime restrictions will not be in place September 5–7 for Labor Day weekend.
What is happening at the Convention Center?
The closures are part of the Los Angeles Convention Center Expansion and Modernization Project, which broke ground in October 2025. One of its biggest additions is a new structure that will connect the existing South and West Exhibit Halls over Pico Boulevard.
The expansion will add about 190,000 square feet of exhibit space, creating a contiguous exhibition area of more than 750,000 square feet. The project will also add approximately 39,000 square feet of meeting rooms and 98,000 square feet of multipurpose space.
The work taking place during this week’s road closures includes the installation of underground duct banks for a new power circuit serving a network station at the Convention Center.
The broader project is scheduled to continue for several years, with most construction expected to be completed by spring 2028. Work will then pause for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games before resuming, with the full project expected to be completed in spring 2029.
