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Community Corner

Five-Week Closing of Coldwater Canyon Avenue Starts Saturday

Closing Coldwater Canyon is expected to increase traffic on other surface streets traversing the Hollywood Hills.

Starting Saturday, work to replace a Department of Water and Power trunk line will have Coldwater Canyon Avenue closed between Ventura Boulevard and Mulholland Drive during daylight hours through April 25.

Closing Coldwater Canyon is expected to increase traffic on other surface streets traversing the Hollywood Hills, such as Laurel Canyon and Beverly Glen Boulevards, and authorities urged commuters to use freeways instead.

"I know how difficult it will be to drive through the area during this time, which is why I would urge all of us to find alternate routes during construction," Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian said Wednesday morning at a news conference aimed at getting the word out.

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Coldwater Canyon typically handles about 30,000 vehicles daily. During construction, one lane in each direction will be opened after 7 p.m. on weekdays and after 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

No work is scheduled on Sundays. The 60-inch trunk line being replaced is nearly 100 years old and ruptured in 2009, causing a monumental mess that prompted nearly $8 million in legal claims against the city.

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Most of the work will be between Dickens Street and Hacienda Drive, with workers welding new steel pipeline sections into place. Work hours, Monday through Friday, are from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays.

Access permits are being issued to canyon residents and those who attend school in the area.

Alternate routes include Cahuenga Boulevard/Highland Avenue, Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Beverly Glen Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, and the San Diego (405) and Hollywood (101) freeways.

More information is available at www.ladwp.com. Residents can use the website to sign up for email updates on construction progress by selecting "City Trunk Line-Coldwater Canyon Construction" from the drop-down menu. Also, updates are available by following @LADWP on Twitter.

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