Will Encounter a Year of Delays Starting June 25
A press conference will be held on June 24, tomorrow, to alert motorists that Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) will be upgrading the underground power infrastructure on Sunset, east of the 405 Freeway. The construction, which will start the next day, is a year-long project that will result in reduced lanes and slowdowns.
According to a media advisory, the DWP will be asking for “the public’s cooperation with partial road closures on Sunset.”
Crews will work simultaneously at two locations on Sunset: 1) I-405 Freeway to Bellagio Road and 2) S. Beverly Glen Boulevard to Carolwood Drive.
Hours of construction will be Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours may be extended as needed to expedite the project’s completion next summer.
The construction is needed because increased power demands in Bel-Air, Beverly Crest, northern Westwood and Holmby Hills communities have overwhelmed the infrastructure that was installed in the 1930s. Additional power capacity is needed.
According to the press release, traffic, public safety, and emergency response plans have been developed and will be deployed during construction.
The location is in Councilmember Paul Koretz 5th Council District and the advisory warns that the affected communities would be in his district.
Councilman Mike Bonin’s District includes Pacific Palisades and Brentwood. Residents from those communities who work in Beverly Hills and Hollywood or at UCLA or attend UCLA (or Harvard-Westlake Middle School) will also be affected. Bonin’s spokesperson David Graham-Caso was asked if either community had been consulted. He did not respond by post time.
A short announcement was made about the project at the May 23 Community Council meeting. PPCC Minutes reflect: “The Chair and Secretary Chris Spitz attended the May WRAC leadership meeting. LADWP will be constructing new underground distribution facilities along Sunset Boulevard to address power outages in the Bel Air and Westwood areas; trenching will begin soon, and the work is expected to be completed in 2020.”
Project hotline: (213) 367-6045 or 1(800) DIAL DWP (342-5397) or visit: ladwp.com/BelAir.