Lanes reopening on Sunset Strip as water-main repairs wrap up

1/10

Water pours down North Olive Drive after a main ruptured on Sunset Boulevard. (Emily Rhyne / Los Angeles Times)

2/10

William Lopez, chief engineer at the Grafton Hotel, uses a squeegee to scrape debris from the sidewalk as water pours down Sunset Boulevard. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

3/10

People stopped to take pictures of flowing water along North Olive Drive, following a water main break on Sunset Boulevard. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

4/10

People use tables to try to keep flooding water from entering their businesses along Sunset Boulevard. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

5/10

A water main break sent torrents of muddy water down the Sunset Strip on Friday afternoon. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

6/10

Crews respond to the mess after a water main broke in West Hollywood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

7/10

A pedestrian make his way around cascading water along North Olive Drive after a water main break on Sunset Boulevard. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

8/10

A water main break in West Hollywood caused several street closures. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

9/10

Firefighters fill sandbags along Sunset Boulevard during the water main break. (Emily Rhyne / Los Angeles Times)

10/10

A water main break flooded sidewalks and streets on the Sunset Strip. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

By Veronica Rocha

Sept. 29, 2014 6:52 AM PT

Westbound traffic lanes on the Sunset Boulevard are expected to fully reopen Monday morning after a ruptured pipe sent thousands of gallons of water down West Hollywood streets.

Only one eastbound lane remained closed early Monday as crews waited for concrete slurry to dry and harden, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

Although no homes lost water during the break, authorities had to close traffic between La Cienega and Crescent Heights boulevards and shut off water to the 36-inch steel main after it broke Friday afternoon near Queens Road.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials say the pipe, which was installed in 1916, discharged 9,600 gallons of water per minute before it was shut off.

Even with most lanes open, traffic backups are expected to clog the Sunset Strip, which is traversed by thousands of vehicles each day.

Crews also worked overnight to repair a second water main break on Sunset Boulevard at Charing Cross Road. The ruptured 12-inch pipe, which was built in 1969, left about 20 homes without water.

Charing Cross Road and South Mapleton Drive remained closed early Monday for backfill and repaving.

For breaking news in Los Angeles and throughout California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA. She can be reached at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.