Sunset Boulevard remains closed as ruptured trunk line repairs continue ‘into this week’
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- No timeline has been offered for the repair and reopening of a section of Sunset Boulevard where a ruptured line inundated a neighborhood with 17 million gallons of water last week.
A section of Sunset Boulevard could continue to be closed for days as crews repair a ruptured trunk line that inundated West Hollywood with about 17 million gallons of water last week.
Officials on Friday said they had hoped the iconic roadway would be reopened by Monday, but repairs are taking longer. Sunset Boulevard is closed between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard, with limited local access on nearby streets including Cynthia Street and San Vicente Boulevard. City officials urged the public to avoid the area.
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It’s not clear when the street will reopen. Repairs “are anticipated to continue into this week,” Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said.
“We understand the ongoing difficulties and disruptions this has caused for residents and businesses across West Hollywood. LADWP is fully committed to advancing pipe repairs and restoring affected streets as quickly and safely as possible,” the utility wrote in a news release on Monday.
Thursday’s fracture was on a riveted steel pipe from 1916 that is part of the system of major arteries that deliver water from reservoirs and tanks to smaller distribution mainlines across Los Angeles. There are about 547 miles of trunk line underground across the city, much of which is nearing the end of its useful life and will need to be replaced in the coming years.
Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood will remain closed for an undetermined amount of time while crews repair pipe and the road itself after a major trunk line ruptured Thursday.
Still, trunk lines appear to be in better condition than the utility’s mainlines. Data provided by the agency showed that less than 1% of its trunk lines have “D” or “F” condition ratings, according to a survey conducted by DWP in 2022.
In 2018, more than 50% of trunk line segments were more than 65 years old and 11% were more than 100 years old, the report states.
The section of the Sunset trunk line where the break occurred is slated to be replaced in 2031 as part of a larger project that includes replacing 6.4 miles of trunk line, 3.5 miles of a 12-inch distribution pipe and a pressure regulating station.
That project is expected to take about four years, Anselmo Collins, DWP’s chief operating officer and senior assistant general manager, told The Times last week.
In the meantime, crews are repairing the ruptured portion of pipeline to reopen traffic lanes through the busy intersection.
Repair crews worked through the night Friday and into Saturday to replace the more than 100-year-old broken pipe with a new steel pipe. Sunset Boulevard remains closed near the site of the spill.
Crews have already welded new steel pipe on the 25-foot section that needed to be replaced. On Sunday, they sealed leaks that were discovered during pressure testing and are now repressurizing the line.
“As pressure builds, crews will again perform targeted leak checks to confirm every section of pipe, both new and existing, is stable and performing as expected,” the utility department said.
Workers will then disinfect the repaired section with chlorine, test the water quality, then dechlorinate the water and discharge it into a storm drain. Only after that will crews be able to repair the street, DWP said.
Residents and businesses that lost property and suffered damages can find information about filing claims at www.LADWP.com/Claims.
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