An old water main burst on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, flooding streets with water and closing parts of the road. This incident happened early Thursday and affected the area from Horn Avenue to San Vincente Boulevard/N. Clark Street.
Officials closed Larrabee Street at Santa Monica Boulevard and Palm Avenue at Santa Monica Boulevard. Residents can still access some areas via soft closures at Shoreham Drive at Sunset Boulevard, Holloway Drive between Palm and Hancock avenues, and San Vicente Boulevard at Cynthia Street. These disruptions are expected to impact businesses and residents in the busy West Hollywood area.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) is managing repairs. They warn motorists to steer clear of this part of Sunset Boulevard to allow repair work. The ruptured pipe, dating back to 1916, was a critical component in delivering water across Los Angeles. Although a replacement for this section was scheduled for 2031, DWP must now address the immediate damage.
Los Angeles hosts about 547 miles of underground trunk lines, with about 29% of pipes reaching over 80 years old. Many face issues due to limited funds for substantial upgrades. DWP’s Anselmo Collins noted that after shutting down the line and removing water from the site, they will assess the repair timeline.
Hannah Fry, who reports breaking news for the Los Angeles Times, highlighted this story. She also contributed to the team’s Pulitzer finalist coverage of the 2020 boat fire near Santa Barbara.
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