Several lanes of 101 Freeway through Hollywood flooded from broken water main

All lanes of the 101 Freeway through Hollywood were briefly shut down early Tuesday due to flooding from a broken water main in a nearby neighborhood.

The first reports of flooding on the freeway began coming in to the California Highway Patrol at 2:30 a.m., but the LADWP says they got their first call about the flooding at 4 a.m.  The flood of water wreaked havoc on passing traffic — at least one vehicle crashed, and another lost control and was left facing the wrong way.

The water came from a break in a 97-year-old, 8-inch cast iron water main in the 5300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, at Hobart, DWP officials said. Water flowed from the broken line onto northbound lanes, then gushed onto southbound lanes, bubbling and gushing through cracks in the pavement in some spots. The California Highway Patrol issued Sigalerts for the scene starting at 3:15 .m., and closures have continued throughout the morning. 

The CHP issued Sigalerts for three right lanes on both the northbound and southbound sides, just west of Sunset Boulevard, until further notice. Officers are  running "round robbins," leading groups of motorists through the flooded area. At least one large pool of water is visible underneath the Santa Monica Boulevard overpass.

"The mud is why these closures are in place, so at this point we don't have an approximate [reopening]," a CHP officer at the scene said. "So we advise the public to please, please avoid the area and find an alternate route."

The LADWP said that eight mostly residential customers are without water, and service is estimated to return by about 1 p.m.

Another water main break was reported later Tuesday morning, nearby in the 900 block of North Kingsley Drive, near Romaine Street, in East Hollywood, within view of cars caught in the backup on the 101 Freeway. The LADWP said the break happened in an 8-inch pipe that's about 91 years old. Twenty water customers will be without water until at least 4 p.m., when service is estimated to return.

Its unclear if the two water main breaks were related, but LADWP says both areas of pipe have been expedited for replacement.

The water main break flooding the 101 Freeway occurred less than 24 hours after two water main breaks flooded Highland Avenue at Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, and residential streets less than two miles away in East Hollywood. This was not even the first time the 101 Freeway was impacted by flooding this month -- two motorists had to be rescued by a swift water rescue team after a water main break on Cahuenga nearly completely submerged their vehicle.