A stretch of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood remained closed Friday as crews repair a trunk line that ruptured early Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing down the famed Sunset Strip.
Closures are in place on Sunset Boulevard from Horn Avenue, where the 110-year-old pipe burst leaving a massive sink hole, to San Vincente Boulevard/N. Clark Street. Larrabee Street at Santa Monica Boulevard and Palm Avenue at Santa Monica Boulevard is also closed, according to the City of West Hollywood.
Soft closures, open only to residents, are in place at Shoreham Drive at Sunset Boulevard, Holloway Drive between Palm and Hancock avenues and San Vicente Boulevard at Cynthia Street.
The closures are poised to be a significant disruption to businesses and residents along the typically bustling section of West Hollywood. Officials are asking motorists to avoid the area over the next several days so Los Angeles Department of Water and Power repair crews can work.
The break, which happened early Thursday, was on a riveted steel pipe from 1916 that forms the major arteries for water delivery from reservoirs and tanks to smaller distribution mainlines across Los Angeles. The section of the Sunset Trunk Line was slated to be replaced in 2031, according to DWP.
There are about 547 miles of trunk line underground across the city. In 2019, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said roughly 29% of the city’s pipes were over 80 years old, approaching their typical lifespan of 100 years.
Utilities have been struggling to keep the system going, given funds are limited for any kind of major overhaul of the aging pipes.
It is not clear how long it will take DWP to make repairs to the trunk line in West Hollywood.
“Once everything is shut down … we’ll pump the water out of the hole that we have,” Anselmo Collins, DWP’s chief operating officer and senior assistant general manager said Thursday. “We’ll make an assessment. That will determine then how long it will take us to make the repairs.”
Officials said anyone with property or vehicle damage can file a claim through LADWP at ladwp.com/claims.
LADWP claims staff will be available to assist Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 1010 Palm Ave. They’ll be able to answer any questions about property damage and claims.
