Tar and water are seeping through the asphalt on Masselin Avnue and has been cordoned off while the city works on a permanent solution. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The city of Los Angeles has placed signs and cones in the middle of Masselin Avenue between Eighth Street and Olympic Boulevard where tar and water is seeping through the pavement. Sand has been placed on the tar, and the city is working on a permanent solution.

The seepage is approximately three blocks from the La Brea Tar Pits and has been occurring since at least mid-summer, Miracle Mile Residential Association president emeritus Jim O’Sullivan said. Seepage is common in the neighborhood.

O’Sullivan said residents notified the city about the tar when applying for permits for an annual Fourth of July celebration in the 800 block of Masselin Avenue. Leo Daube, a spokesman for Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, 5th District, confirmed the reports and said staff worked with the Bureau of Street Services to take steps to mitigate the problem on a temporary basis.

Daube added that the city determined heavy rain last winter and spring blocked a drainage area that the tar and water normally flows to, and it backed up and seeped through the pavement before the city could pump it out. A permanent solution is being devised, and measures including the cones and signs have been taken in the meantime to safeguard motorists on Masselin Avenue.

Paul Gomez, a spokesman for the Department of Public Works, also said the Bureau of Street Services is working on solutions.

“This is a naturally occurring feature of the area that can occur when the ground below the street is either saturated from rain or during extreme heat. There are ‘sumps’ or collectors in place to collect any tar, which are being regularly pumped out and assessed,” Gomez said.

“StreetsLA dispatched a contractor to the site last Friday. The contractor cleaned the area and installed cautionary signs and barricades at the location to warn motorists. We will continue to monitor the location for additional maintenance needs. Claims for any related vehicle damage can be filed with the Office of City Clerk.”

O’Sullivan acknowledged that tar seeps up from time to time on private and public property in the area, but he is upset by how long the city has taken to devise a permanent solution. The city moves slowly like the seeping tar, he said.

“It’s a big deal. People on the street have been complaining about it,” O’Sullivan added.

“Obviously, someone should come in there and open up the street and see what’s happening. Obviously, there is a problem. What’s the solution?”