Flooded Street Set to Reopen Today
Topanga Canyon Boulevard is expected to reopen this afternoon after flooding by a broken water main closed down the southbound lanes between Vanowen and Bassett streets, according to Department of Water and Power officials.
The main broke about 2 p.m. Thursday. The force of the water opened a 7-by-20-foot sinkhole in the street and ruptured a sewer line to one of the area’s commercial buildings, said Steve Rinker, water utilities supervisor.
Southbound lanes of Topanga Canyon Boulevard remained closed Friday while DWP crews worked to fill the sinkhole and remove damaged portions of pavement. The street will be repaved today, Rinker said.
A few businesses had water damage, including Good Guy Carpet and Floor Covering, 6911 Topanga Canyon Blvd., where water flowed under doors and covered the floors of the store’s two restrooms. Rolls of carpet and vinyl flooring were covered by 5 to 7 inches of grimy water, Sales Manager Silvie Sapir said.
Firefighters helped remove the damaged inventory, and employees worked until midnight with rug-cleaning machines to remove water, Sapir said.
“I called 911 because the whole place was flooded,” she said. “I didn’t know what was going on. It was a mess.”
All lanes on Topanga are expected to reopen today by by 2 p.m., Rinker said.
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