Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will institute a partial closure at Benedict Canyon and Liebe drives from May 1 to Nov. 30 from Mulholland to Hutton drives in order to increase water system reliability and improve existing fire protection in the area.

(photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power)

The road closure will take place between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on scheduled Saturdays. Benedict Canyon and Liebe drives will be open to traffic outside of the closure hours. Local residents and designated visitors will be provided access to homes and businesses during the closure.

The seven-month project is part of a continuing effort to improve the water system infrastructure throughout LADWP’s service area. LADWP will replace 5,200 feet of aging pipe with new steel pipe and add four new fire hydrants along a stretch of Benedict Canyon and Liebe drives.

“When it comes to projects of this nature, there is never a convenient time for infrastructure updates,” Councilman Paul Koretz, 5th District, said. “Although we recognize the inconvenience it may cause in the short term, the long term benefits will serve the needs of our residents and families in the area. The plan and mitigations in place is a result of an exhaustive collaboration between city agencies and community partnerships and we are most grateful for your cooperation.”

“Serving our customers and this community is always our top priority,” LADWP Chief Operating Officer Martin L. Adams said. “The replacement of aging water system infrastructure is necessary in order to continue to provide the highest quality water service possible. We have worked very hard to minimize the impact this project will have and we are deeply appreciative of your patience, cooperation and understanding.”

LADWP has worked closely with local residents and the office of Koretz to minimize impact of the project on the community and those who use Benedict Canyon Drive regularly. LADWP has also coordinated with other local agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Los Angeles Emergency Management Department to manage traffic, monitor local access to the work area, and maintain fire and emergency access at all times throughout the course of the project.

This project is part of a larger effort to upgrade LADWP water system infrastructure throughout its service area. LADWP plans to ramp up the replacement of water distribution mainline to bring the pipe replacement cycle closer to the expected average pipe life cycle of 100 years by 2023. During the 2015-16 fiscal year, LADWP set a replacement goal of 150,000 feet of mainline pipe, and exceeded that goal. In 2016-17, the replacement goal was 184,000 feet, and LADWP exceeded that goal also. Currently in the 2017-18 fiscal year, LADWP has replaced more than 76 percent of its goal of 215,000 feet, at 155,000 feet. Much of this work has been made possible in part by the LADWP rate increases approved by the Los Angeles City Council and the mayor in March 2016, and which took effect on April 15, 2016.

For information, visit ladwp.com/benedictcanyon.