Sunset Boulevard reopens after repairs on 36-inch water main — but it’s not over yet

The stretch of Sunset Boulevard closed since the rupture of a large water main sent 17 million gallons of water cascading through West Hollywood has reopened after more than a week of repair work by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews.

The heavily traveled stretch of Sunset reopened about 11 p.m. Friday. It had been closed between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard since about 3 a.m. July 16, when the rupture occurred beneath Sunset Boulevard at Holloway Drive.

“From the start, LADWP has prioritized safety, recognizing that the reopening of the street depended on our ability to safely fill and repressure the pipe,” the department said in a statement Friday night. “However, due to recurring leaks following attempted repairs, LADWP crews shifted to an alternate plan that allows us to safely move forward with street restoration and isolate a section of the water pipe, while maintaining reliable and safe water service.”

The alternate plan consists of isolating the section of the trunk line and temporarily rerouting water through an existing 8-inch pipeline, prompting the replacement of a 12-inch valve, the agency announced earlier Friday.

A pinhole leak was repaired Thursday night, according to the LADWP, but another leak, in an existing portion of the pipe, appeared during follow-up testing.

“Crews immediately closed the valves and began draining this section of the pipe again,” according to the LADWP.

After making what the LADWP called “steady progress” in repairing the ruptured 36-inch diameter pipeline, crews around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday observed water coming up from the area being backfilled and prepared for paving.

According to the utility, “LADWP crews continued repaving and striping of Sunset Boulevard early (Thursday) morning while working to repair a small pinhole-sized leak identified last night at the east end of the worksite. Overnight crews excavated an approximately 3×4 foot area to locate the affected area.”

Crews will return in “the coming weeks to complete permanent street paving,” according to the department.

“LADWP will coordinate with city of West Hollywood officials to inform the local community once work schedules are finalized to reduce the impact of any lane closures required to complete the remaining work,” the statement said.

Utility crews have worked around the clock since the pipe ruptured and sent water flowing down West Hollywood streets, pushing around cars and flooding garages while shifting massive chunks of asphalt and concrete slabs.

“Our crews worked tirelessly, day and night, to make progress on the complex, multi-step repairs,” David Hanson, LADWP’s interim general manager, said in a statement. “The West Hollywood community has shown remarkable patience and resilience throughout this challenging week, and as we move forward, we are committed to accelerating the full replacement of the trunk line and collaborating closely with our agency and city partners to deliver enhanced infrastructure and reliability.”

The LADWP said it will accelerate the full replacement of the trunk line, a major infrastructure project that had previously been scheduled to begin in 2031. The replacement is expected to take approximately four years and “will require detailed traffic management planning, close coordination with neighbors and businesses, and compliance with state regulatory processes and permitting,” according to the department.

Some businesses in the area remain closed, and many residents suffered property damage in the disaster.

Customers with questions regarding the pipe rupture may call 1-800-DIAL-DWP. Claims information is available at LADWP.com/Claims.

West Hollywood has launched a website with regularly updated information about the response and recovery effort. The site, weho.org/watermainbreak, includes repair updates, street closures, traffic information, Metro detours, parking enforcement changes, claims information, hotel discounts for affected residents and other resources.

The specific cause of the break remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, the city of West Hollywood is extending temporary parking enforcement changes so residents may continue to access available on-street parking.

The changes are as follows:

— Suspended street sweeping parking enforcement in the impacted neighborhood north of Santa Monica Boulevard, south of Sunset Boulevard, between (and including) Larrabee Street and Hancock Avenue. This includes Nellas Street, Harratt Street, Betty Way, and Cynthia Street between Larrabee Street and Palm Avenue.

— Suspended residential parking permit enforcement in permit parking districts located west of North La Cienega Boulevard to the city’s western boundary and north of Santa Monica Boulevard to the city’s northern boundary.

These changes will remain in effect until Aug. 1 at 7 a.m., at which time enforcement will begin.