West Hollywood rupture was L.A.'s worst in years: 17 million gallons spilled, Sunset Boulevard closed for days

[Zorro]

• A key stretch of Sunset Boulevard on the West Hollywood Strip is closed indefinitely after a trunk line rupture carved a massive sinkhole, stalling traffic and business along the nightlife corridor.
• The shutdown runs from Horn Avenue to San Vicente Boulevard/N. Clark Street, with additional street and “soft” resident-only closures rippling through nearby blocks and forcing drivers onto already congested detours.
• The rupture erupted in a 110-year-old trunk line dating to 1916, underscoring Los Angeles’ aging water infrastructure, where hundreds of miles of pipeline await costly upgrades and nearly a third are approaching retirement.

The massive Sunset Strip trunk line rupture was L.A.’s worst in years, spilling 17 million gallons of water and forcing the closure of Sunset Boulevard for at least several days.

Closures are in place on Sunset Boulevard from San Vicente Boulevard/N. Clark Street to Horn Avenue, where the 110-year-old pipe burst unleashing a torrent of water and leaving a massive sinkhole. Larrabee Street at Santa Monica Boulevard and Palm Avenue at Santa Monica Boulevard are also closed, according to the city of West Hollywood.

Soft closures, open only to residents, are in place at Shoreham Drive at Sunset Boulevard, Holloway Drive between Palm and Hancock avenues and San Vicente Boulevard at Cynthia Street.

The closures are poised to be a significant disruption to businesses and residents along the typically bustling section of West Hollywood. The bulk of the damage is located just blocks away from Whisky A Go Go, the famed club where many legendary rock bands got their start. Officials are asking motorists to avoid the area over the next several days so Los Angeles Department of Water and Power repair crews can work.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-17/sunset-blvd-closed-water-main-repairs-weho