Beverly Hills commuters who have spent more than a week rerouting around a closed Sunset Boulevard are likely to get their primary east-west corridor back on Friday, July 25, pending final water quality tests.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power confirmed Thursday, July 23, that repairs remain on schedule and the pipeline has been disinfected, according to KTLA. The trunk line must pass required water quality standards before it can return to service and the road can reopen.
The reopening caps nine days of disruption that began when the 110-year-old water main ruptured beneath Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive in the early hours of Wednesday, July 16. An estimated 17 million gallons of water tore through West Hollywood streets, creating a massive sinkhole, sweeping parked cars off the road, and flooding apartment garages and businesses.
West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman estimated between 150 and 200 cars were damaged or destroyed, the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday, July 19.
A last-minute setback
Crews hit a snag on Wednesday, July 22, when a secondary leak appeared at about 8:30 p.m. as workers compacted the concrete base ahead of final repaving. LADWP described it as a "pinhole sized leak." Workers excavated a 3-by-4-foot area, found the source, and welded a patch on Thursday, July 23.
"Every day, 24/7, there's been construction and the bright lights shining into my living room, and just the endless noise," West Hollywood resident Jerome, who gave only his first name, told KTLA on Thursday.
Despite the setback, officials said the reopening timeline held.
What to expect after reopening
The closure stretched between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood, blocking the stretch of Sunset that connects Beverly Hills to the Sunset Strip. Beverly Hills did not issue a public detour advisory during the closure.
Even after Friday's reopening, some lanes will close again briefly for final repaving. LADWP did not announce a specific date for that work. Most displaced West Hollywood residents should be able to return home over the weekend, West Hollywood city officials told KTLA.
The bigger infrastructure picture
The ruptured pipe was a riveted steel line installed in 1916, originally slated for replacement in 2031 as part of a larger project covering 6.4 miles of trunk line. That project is expected to take about four years, LADWP Chief Operating Officer Anselmo Collins told the Los Angeles Times on Monday, July 21.
LADWP earmarked $803.8 million in its 2026-27 budget to modernize its aging water system, including $590.1 million to replace deteriorating mains. The utility responds to three or four water main breaks per day across Los Angeles.
Residents and businesses that suffered property damage can file claims at www.LADWP.com/Claims.
