Metropolitan Transportation Authority authorities are documenting each step in this "Carmageddon" weekend's partial demolition of the Mulholland Drive bridge.

A solar-powered digital camera at the site is snapping images every 15 seconds. High-definition images will be averaged together to allow Metro to provide a full time-lapse video of the project.

For now, a new image from the field is made available every 30 seconds and can be viewed above.

PHOTOS: 'Carmageddon' closes the 405 Freeway

Officials at the construction site said earlier that work was running smoothly.

“It’s an impressive start to the work,” said Dave Sotero, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

About 4,000 tons of concrete must be removed by early Monday morning as the south side of the bridge is torn down. The work is part of a $1-billion widening of the 405 Freeway that required the replacement of the 50-year-old bridge to make way for an HOV lane.

A 10-mile stretch of the key connector between the Westside and San Fernando Valley was shut down fully by midnight Friday and is scheduled to be ready for commuters by 6 a.m. Monday. Officials have said that if all goes well there's a chance the freeway could be open earlier.

ALthough roads so far have been notably trouble-free, emergency services officials have cautioned Angelenos not to get complacent about potential traffic jams.

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-- Megan Garvey

Image: Time-lapse photos taken by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. A live stream of the work also is available at metro.net but may require a plugin to view.

Despite concerns about the preparedness of area hospitals during "Carmageddon," officials at the UCLA Health System said everything was "business as usual" Saturday morning.

The UCLA Health System -- which includes Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA and Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, as well as more than 80 offices and outpatient clinics -- had an elaborate contingency plan in place to deal with the freeway closure -- and so far it's worked, officials said.

Photos: 'Carmageddon' closes the 405 Freeway

More than 150 nurses and staff members spent Friday night in UCLA dorms, UCLA’s Tiverton House and in some sections of the hospitals to avoid long commutes, officials said. About 1,900 employees made it to work on time Saturday morning.

Hospitals also stocked up on extra medical supplies and postponed nonemergency surgeries for the weekend, officials said. Extra staff -- including plumbers and air-conditioning technicians -- are also on hand to prevent any potential problems.

"We are ready and fully prepared to handle any emergency," Shannon O'Kelley, chief operating officer for the UCLA Health System, said in a statement.

Still, O'Kelley urged the public to call 911 in case of a medical emergency instead of driving to a hospital in case of construction-related traffic snarls.

"This will ensure the patient will get to an emergency department by ambulance if the medical situation warrants," O'Kelley said.

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-- Kate Mather

Photo: Hospital custodians Orlando Rojas, left, and Blanca Rodriguez set up cots for UCLA medical personnel ahead of Carmageddon at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. Credit: Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press

As the Orange County Fair opened its gates Friday, state officials said they are no longer looking to sell the fairgrounds.

Under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state Department of General Services was directed in 2009 to sell the property to help shore up California's ailing budget.

"DGS is not selling the fairgrounds now, and the Department of General Services will be considering the pros and cons of selling state properties in the coming months," said spokesman Ken Hunt.

The department was recently on the losing end of an Orange County Court of Appeal decision killing the sale of the 150-acre property to Newport Beach-based Facilities Management West, according to the Daily Pilot.

The $100-million sale had been approved by the state, but some lawmakers, Costa Mesa city officials and parties with a vested interest in the preservation of the fairgrounds sued, leading to their Court of Appeal victory.

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--Joseph Serna, Times Community News

Photo: Animals at the Orange County Fair. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times

The train saved the day on "Carmageddon" for many Santa Clarita residents who needed to travel downtown and beyond on Saturday and wanted to avoid getting stuck in traffic on the freeways.

At least a dozen people stood on the platform at the Santa Clarita Metrolink station waiting for the day’s first train on the Antelope Valley line to arrive at 7:30 a.m.

Photos: Carmageddon closes the 405 Freeway

Many of the commuters acknowledged that they would typically be in their cars this weekend morning — if it wasn't for fear of Carmageddon.

"That's exactly why we're here," said Jim Rothwell, who arrived at the platform just before 7 a.m. with his wife, Shirley, and 10-year-old son, Jeffrey — all of them dragging suitcases.

They had tickets for an Amtrak train out of Union Station which would ferry them on vacation up the California coast.

"We were going to drive down to Burbank and get the train from there, but we didn't want to get stuck in traffic," said Jim Rothwell.

The family arrived 30 minutes early for the Metrolink train and would have a two-hour grace period at Union Station before the departure of their Amtrak train. They acknowledged that having the option to take Metrolink was a relief, but it was still a little nerve-racking.

"I'm a little nervous about all the bags on a commuter train," said Jim Rothwell. "Other than that, it's pretty good."

Shirley Rothwell said she was surprised not to find more people thronging the platform. But her husband pointed out that it was still early morning, and it was a Saturday.

Brandon Silva, a regular Metrolink traveler, said being forced to use the train this weekend might make more people "realize the convenience of it."

Silva, 20, and his friend Jamie Oliphant, 18, had given themselves ample time to make it down to San Diego by 3:30 p.m. for "X Fest," a concert featuring several of their favorite bands.

Jamie's father Kevin was accompanying the pair on the train. His Saturday plans had changed because of Carmageddon.

"I was going to see friends in Santa Monica," said Kevin Oliphant. "I scratched that idea."

For Kathy Thomson it was a workday. In fact, Thomson was scheduled to be at her television and film industry job on Sunday as well. So she had devised a plan that would allow her to ride the train, but also have access to a car if necessary.

On Friday, she left her car at her offices in Burbank. That way, she could take the train, but her car would be easily available when she next needed it.

"That way, there's no unknown," Thomson said.

She never thought twice about taking the train, especially when she recalled how two weeks ago a big rig had jackknifed in the Newhall Pass and motorists were trapped in their cars for more than 45 minutes.

With Carmageddon, "there could be all kind of scenarios," Thomson said. "I just don't want to deal with it. The train has saved me in more ways than one."

Robert Mackay was also headed to his job at Glendale College, where he teaches and is a men's tennis coach. He needed to be at work both Saturday and Sunday so he planned to overnight at a friend’s home in Glendale on Saturday.

"I just don't want to have to fool around with my car on Sunday," said Mackay, who was accompanied by his daughter Rhiannon. "I'm just not going to make a half-hour trip a three-hour trip because of some kind of problem on the freeway."

Mackay said more than anything, opting to ride the train would be a welcome relief.

"I'm doing it for peace of mind," he said.

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-- Ann M. Simmons in Santa Clarita

Photo: Traffic control personnel block the southbound 405 onramp at Ventura Boulevard and Sherman Oaks Avenue on Friday evening in preparation for Carmageddon. Credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times

For all the fear and nervousness of gridlocked "Carmageddon" traffic preceding this weekend's closure of 10 miles of the 405 Freeway, city and county officials said early Saturday morning that their biggest concern now is that things are going too well.

"Great job Los Angeles," was the statement released by Unified Command at the Emergency Operations Center downtown at about 8:30 a.m.

"Thank you for staying out of the closure area. The project is on schedule thanks to the public's help," the release said.

Now authorities are asking "that the public not get complacent."

PHOTOS: 'Carmageddon' closes the 405 Freeway

Real-time traffic maps showed traffic mostly free-flowing throughout the morning, but Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Alicia Mathis said the critical period Saturday would be about 3 p.m.

"Right now things are quiet," Mathis said, adding that most people had still not yet started their day and that roads would likely begin getting more congested as the day moves on.

"So far people are doing great," said Veronica Hendrix of the city's Emergency Management Department. "But people haven't really gotten out yet," she said.

Hendrix said she hopes motorists who plan to make trips in the region Saturday will "get out early" and be patient.

Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese aptly rounded out the morning:

"The only thing that's happened is the bridge is being deconstructed and the traffic's light."

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-- Ari Bloomekatz at the Emergency Operations Center in downtown L.A.

Photo: Construction crews continue demolition work on the southern portion of the Mulholland bridge over the 405 Freeway Saturday morning. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Residents who live around the Mulholland Bridge and 405 Freeway are taking to Twitter to complain about the noisy helicopters buzzing overhead.

At any given time, about four helicopters have been flying over the demolition area. On Friday, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said he did not anticipate that media crews would present an air traffic control problem.

At least one resident wasted no time in creating a Facebook page: Citizens Against Media Helicopters.

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As Angelenos braced themselves for a potential "Carmageddon" traffic nightmare this weekend as the 405 Freeway closed for construction, travelers at Los Angeles International Airport said Saturday morning said that although they had prepared for the worst, they had not been delayed by the shutdown.

Vakisha Coleman, who was set to catch an 8:50 a.m. flight to Hawaii, said she and a friend were ready to leave Encino at 4:30 a.m. to avoid "Carmageddon," but after checking the news and seeing no reports of major problems, didn't end up leaving until 6 a.m.

PHOTOS: 'Carmageddon' closes the 405 Freeway

That's still about 45 minutes earlier than she typically would have left, Coleman said, but she ran into no trouble on her route. Coleman said she took the 101 Freeway to Sepulveda Boulevard, where she exited, and then moved to the 405 when southbound ramps were available to enter again.

"It was a breeze," Coleman said of her 30-minute drive.

Bakersfield residents John and Lois O'Leary stayed at the Courtyard Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard Friday night to make sure they wouldn't miss their 8:50 a.m. flight to Hawaii. They paid $120 for a room and were able to catch a shuttle from the hotel to the airport Saturday morning.

"We didn't want to chance it," Lois O'Leary said.

Officials had also cautioned travelers taking the LAX FlyAway buses from Van Nuys and Westwood to take the closure into consideration when making their travel arrangements, and advised passengers to begin their trips to the airport at least one to two hours earlier than usual. However, a bus that arrived from Van Nuys just before 8 a.m. took less than an hour to make the trip after making a few detours, its driver said.

"It was good," said Nancy Kung, who took the bus from Northridge to the airport for a noon flight to Canada. "It only took 45 minutes."

Though early reports indicated construction was running smoothly and no traffic snarl-ups had occurred, some said they were still wary of what might happen on L.A.'s freeways Saturday afternoon.

Allison English of Santa Monica had no trouble bringing her husband, Robert, to LAX Saturday morning for his 8:50 a.m. flight to Nashville — they left their home at 5:35 a.m. and got to LAX's Parking Lot C 20 minutes later by taking the 10 and 405 freeways — but said she had canceled plans to attend an afternoon event in Echo Park because of potential traffic problems.

"I don't want to risk it," she said.

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-- Jane Engle at LAX

Photo: Passengers check in at Southwest Airlines Terminal 1 at LAX just before 6 a.m. Saturday. Many said they were unaffected by the 405 Freeway closure, despite their initial concerns. Credit: Jane Engle / Los Angeles Times

Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in six L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Five neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. El Sereno (A) recorded seven reports compared with a weekly average of 2.2 over the last three months.

Koreatown (F) was the lone neighborhood with a property-crime alert. It recorded 45 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 32.9 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for July 3–July 9, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

— Ben Welsh, Thomas Suh Lauder

In the video above, KTLA News shows the quick progress workers have made in beginning the demolition of the Mulholland Drive bridge over the 405 Freeway. Heavy equipment breaks down the concrete bridge.

This YouTube video shows traffic stopping on the 405 Friday night when the roadway was closed. The video shows one driver going in reverse on the freeway in attempt to take an offramp and avoid the congestion. The move nearly causes an accident with a big rig.

Another YouTube video shows smooth sailing for motorists over the Sepulveda Pass on Friday night, shortly before the 405 was closed.

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-- Shelby Grad

Stand Down season has begun -- the effort by government agencies, nonprofits and others to help homeless and hard-luck veterans.

In San Diego, the three-day Stand Down began Friday and was expected to draw nearly 1,000 veterans. And in Long Beach, a Stand Down was held exclusively for women.

Studies by the Department of Veterans Affairs suggest that a high percentage of the long-term homeless population suffers from substance abuse and/or mental health conditions, neither issue being amenable to quick solutions.

Yet the Stand Down approach offers a temporary respite from the streets, a supportive atmosphere and a chance for the VA and others to enroll veterans for follow-up care and possibly for housing vouchers.

The Long Beach Stand Down, the first in California exclusively for women, reflects the fact that with more women serving in the military, they will inevitably represent a larger percentage of the homeless population.

Brenda Hardiman, a 61-year-old Army veteran, said she had attended a number of Stand Downs but “this is probably the nicest one I have been to.”

She said female veterans share the same challenges as their male counterparts, including injuries, combat trauma and substance abuse.

“I’m glad they finally focused on women,” said Hardiman, who was getting her hair braided at a stand offering makeovers. “Women in all the military services have contributed so much  and yet they are very little recognized.”

She is homeless and is staying in veterans housing operated by Life Community Development in Adelanto.

At the San Diego event, the most popular tents were those providing free haircuts, used clothing and shoes, and dental checkups. Lawyers and a Superior Court judge on Friday were there to help with legal problems.

The VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have an aggressive outreach to find and help the new generation of homeless veterans, particularly women and veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The VA has vowed to end veterans' homelessness by 2015.

"The VA knows the mistakes it's made in the past," said Dr. Arnold Gass, a VA physician who was one of the original organizers of the first San Diego Stand Down in 1988 and has attended all 24, manning the medical tent. "We don't want to be in the public for making mistakes; we want to be known as the best healthcare system in the U.S."

There are indications the approach is working. In San Diego County, the number of homeless veterans has declined from 2,100 last year to 1,650 this year -- possibly due to the voucher program, which comes with follow-up treatment.

In coming months, Stand Down events in California are set for Ventura, Marysville, Santa Ana, Fresno, Compton, Long Beach, Bakersfield, Redding, Ferndale and the Nevada County Fairgrounds.

Each event will differ in duration and approach but all share a similar motto: "Serving those who served us."

-- Tony Perry in San Diego, Alexandra Zavis in Long Beach.

Photo: Marine veteran Hamilton DePass, 54, homeless in San Diego, arrives for Stand Down. Credit: Tony Perry / Los Angeles Times