Stretch of Damaged Ventura Boulevard Not Likely to Reopen Today

A portion of Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks was expected to remain closed today as workers continue to repair damage caused by a ruptured water main that flooded buildings and gouged a large hole in the roadway.

The eastbound lanes between Kester and Willis avenues “will probably be closed throughout the week,” said Debra Sass, spokeswoman with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Westbound lanes of the busy boulevard were reopened Sunday evening and were expected to be open today to traffic in both directions.

On Sunday, DWP workers cleared large chunks of concrete and debris from the road and welded into place a 15-foot-long pipe to replace the section that burst Friday, Sass said. Fast-drying cement was used to fill the hole.

But repair work cannot be completed until other utilities with lines in the area have an opportunity to inspect and repair their equipment, Sass said.

“We’ve turned over the area to other utilities to let them check their lines,” she said.

A 25-foot-long sewer line that ran about six inches underneath the water main was repaired Sunday by the Bureau of Sanitation, said Sass, who did not know the extent or nature of the damage. The Southern California Gas Co. was also examining a line.

“It’s likely that they’ll have to replace part of that line as well,” Sass said of the gas line, adding that it has been out of service since Friday.

Once the other lines are repaired, the water main will be refilled, and the water will be chlorinated and tested before the main is operable again, Sass said.

Inspectors from the Bureau of Street Maintenance are expected to survey the area today to determine the damage caused to the street.

The rupture of the high-pressure water pipe, which is 36 inches in diameter, blasted open a 20- by 40-foot crater and sent 400,000 gallons of water gushing down four blocks of the trendy boulevard about 4:30 p.m. Friday. Water rushed out for 3 1/2 hours before crews could stop the flow.

There were no injuries and no loss of utility service to the area, but at least 12 businesses suffered minor water damage and 10 apartment garages were flooded.