What's taking so long to fix broken water main in Hollywood?

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- For weeks, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews have been working in the area of Franklin and Wilcox avenues repairing the damage caused by a water main break.

On the morning of July 2, a 12-inch line ruptured, turning streets into rivers. But ever since then, the roads have been shut down, and residents dealing with street closures in the busy Hollywood neighborhood are frustrated.

"Traffic's been nuts around here. It's surprising how just one little block closed off just has caused mass chaos in traffic around here," said Dominic D'Astice of Hollywood.

Hanna Kim, owner of Lido Cleaners, says customers have had a tough time getting to her shop.

"There's no parking, no street parking, so it was very bad for our business," Kim said.

So why is the repair job is taking so long? The Department of Water and Power says the line that broke was installed in 1916. Because of its age and the damage to the streets, officials decided to make some major infrastructure improvements.

"It blew. Instead of going in just to do a temporary patch, we made a decision to go in and replace 3,000 feet of main that'll keep us out of here for another hundred years," said Donald Williams, LADWP district supervisor.

Crews are also adding 1,000 feet to a second smaller line that extends a couple of blocks from Wilcox to Whitley avenues. That portion of the project is about six weeks from completion.

"Just bear with us, be patient. We're getting the infrastructure up to grade," Williams said. "We'll be out of here as soon as possible."