OSCARS BRING HOLLYWOOD TO HALT RESIDENTS INCONVENIENCED, RETAILERS COMPLAINING.

Byline: Erik N. Nelson Staff Writer

It was only Wednesday, but the red carpet had already been rolled out for Sunday's Academy Awards, frustrating motorists, business owners and workers along Hollywood Boulevard.

The thoroughfare in front of the Kodak Theatre, the awards ceremony's new home, was shut down at 11 p.m. Tuesday, when workers began rolling out the carpet and putting up oversize Oscar statues and erecting bleacher seats for spectators. The closure snarled traffic on Highland Avenue and created a morning-rush-hour backup onto the southbound Hollywood Freeway.

The traffic jam added 15 minutes to the morning commute of Sgt. 1st Class Eduardo Atienza of Burbank, who works as an Army recruiter at Sunset Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.

``Normally, it's like 10 minutes, tops. In this case, it was, like 25 minutes,'' he said.

But Tinseltown workers and residents agreed it could have been much worse.

``Actually, it's not as bad as I expected,'' said city Traffic Officer Manuel Contreras, who had little to do at the Hollywood and Highland intersection but watch the traffic pass by. He noted that variable message signs on all approaches warned motorists to take alternate routes.

The street closure was a curse for retailers like Eligio Rivera, who manages Crazy Gideon's electronics store across Hollywood Boulevard from the Kodak.

``Closing the street, I don't think it's going to help us, because there's nowhere to go through, there's no place to park,'' said Rivera, who predicted that his business would be off by 40 percent to 45 percent during the closure, which will be lifted at 6 a.m. Monday.

As Oscar night approaches, other nearby streets will be shut down, and even the Hollywood & Highland Metro subway stop will be closed Sunday for security reasons.

Residents were also trying to work around the closure.

``It's a bit of a pain in the rear for traffic,'' said Tony Grubesic, who lives in Hollywood and is studying for his doctorate at the University of California, Los Angeles. ``I mean, look at this: They blocked off everything,'' he said with a sweeping gesture at the barricades at Hollywood and Highland.

``I have a car, but this week, I'm not using it.''

Actor and drama teacher Fred Salerno Sands said he, too, was making adjustments because of the street closure.

``I resent it, in a way, because I've still got to travel through all this nonsense,'' he said, standing in front of the Hollywood Center building opposite Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where he had just visited the AFTRA/SAG Federal Credit Union Offices.

Credit union supervisor Lucy Rallo said the street closure was the impetus for a short vacation starting today.

``We're closing because of this ... I happen to be taking vacation, but they're dispersing employees to other offices,'' she explained.

``Most of our members aren't going to be able to come, and there's not going to be any parking.''

Despite the commuting and business headaches, some people kept their sense of humor about the inconvenience.

``I'm here for the Academy Awards. Where do I park?'' said a motorist stopped at a red light at Hollywood and Highland, who was then asked by a Los Angeles traffic officer to identify himself.

``I'm Russell Crowe - without the makeup,'' joked the motorist, Steven Sarott, an accountant on his way from North Hollywood to his home in Pico-Robertson.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, map

Photo:

(1 -- color) Hollywood Boulevard is blocked off between Highland and Orange avenues as crews prepare the Kodak Theatre for Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. With no access to businesses, some firms have closed until Monday.

(2 -- color) Crazy Gideon's store manager Eligio Rivera waits for customers in front of his store along deserted Hollywood Boulevard. He expects a loss of 40 percent in his business because of the Oscar shutdown.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

Map:

HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD CLOSURE

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