STUDIO CITY—Traffic was expected to be heavy along Coldwater Canyon Avenue as the area between Van Noord Avenue and Hacienda Drive was reduced to one lane of traffic on Monday, December 19. The closure was linked with construction to replace an aging trunk line in the city’s water distribution system.

Trunk lines are large-diameter pipes that allow large amounts of water to be transported from one area of the city to another as needed. According to a Studio City Neighborhood Council traffic advisory, the closure just south of Ventura Boulevard is expected to last until December 30.

Map of the Trunk Line South Unit 5 Project. Photo courtesy of LADWP

During the construction, crew members from the Los Angeles Department of Power will be on-site to coordinate traffic along Coldwater Canyon Avenue Monday to Friday during the hours of 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  One direction of traffic will be permitted to pass at a time and each day after work is completed, LADWP crews will restore Coldwater Canyon Avenue to two lanes of traffic with a single lane in each direction.  Parking along the street will also be restricted along both sides of the work zone and in some traffic transition areas.

The Studio City Neighborhood Council’s traffic advisory also warns drivers to expect significant delays due to the reduced traffic flow and strongly encourages them to use alternate routes. In addition, as part of an effort to minimize traffic problems, the LADWP has scheduled the lane reduction to coincide with the reduced traffic flows during Harvard Westlake Upper School’s winter break schedule.

Several streets in the city will have limited access during construction as Halkirk Street will be closed to through traffic at Coldwater Canyon Avenue. However, Halkirk Street will be accessible to residents from Alcove Avenue, Goodland Avenue and Goodland Place. The driveway at Harvard-Westlake’s Upper School campus will remain open to campus visitors during the winter break.

The SCNC advisory added that informational signage was posted along Coldwater Canyon Avenue for two weeks alerting drivers and area residents of this lane reduction. In addition, outreach was done to inform area residents and project stakeholders of the project’s progress and construction impacts through monthly e-mail updates.

Construction along Coldwater Canyon Avenue is part of the LADWP’s City Trunk Line South Unit 5 Project, which will replace an aging trunk line built in 1914. The new trunk line consists of 54-inch and 60-inch pipe and measures an estimated 1.3 miles in length. The reliability and flexibility of the LADWP’s water distribution system is expected to be improved greatly by this new trunk line.

The South Unit 5 project’s construction began in June 2011 and is expected to be completed by May 2015. Anyone with questions about the project may contact Robert Smith, Assistant Construction Superintendent, at (213) 798-5704. Recorded information about the project will soon be available in English and Spanish at (213) 367-0902. Information and updates on the project can be accessed online at ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp013128.jsp.

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