Construction bothers some in Westwood

By Chris Montalvo
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

  ANGIE LEVINE/Daily Bruin

Workers clean out and cement-line water pipes.

A recent Department of Water and Power construction project has
been an unavoidable obstacle for many Westwood residents, but the
scene of pipes and holes on the street will soon end.

The “Cement Lining Project” is 95 percent finished,
said DWP Project Engineer Ali Sabouni, and construction will be
done in two or three weeks. The purpose of the project is to
renovate the water pipeline system and improve the quality of tap
water in Westwood, according to the DWP.

While they may enjoy the outcome, many residents aren’t too
happy with the process of the construction.

“Parking is even worse now because they are taking up half
the street,” said Evan Ben-Artzi a fifth-year history
student, who lives in a Landfair Avenue house.

The construction has been inconvenient not only because of lack
of parking but also because of the bumps left on the streets as a
result, Ben-Artzi said. Other students have complained about the
noise the construction produces.

“It is incredibly loud so I can’t talk on the
phone,” said third-year psychobiology student David Pearl,
who also lives in a Westwood complex.

According to the DWP, the end of the project will bring many
benefits for Westwood residents.

Residents will see better water color, and have improved
firefighting capabilities because of better water flow, the DWP
says.

In addition Westwood’s water pipes will last for at least
fifty more years and residents will see new water meters and fire
hydrants.

Main water pipes were installed in Westwood in the 1930s. Since
then, corrosive material has built up inside of them, causing pipes
six inches in diameter to be reduced to about three to four inches,
Sabouni said.

The project began its process with the installation of temporary
water pipes ““ which are currently visible near apartment
sidewalks ““ used while the main line is being upgraded.

This allows workers to cut the main pipes and apply a layer of
cement mortar, “inserted into the pipeline and pulled through
at a constant rate so that the lining is smooth and even,”
according to a DWP hand-out.

To end the project, a DWP inspector examines the uniformity and
smoothness of the cement mortar applied.

The construction will leave some lasting effects, however.

Gayley, Strathmore and Landfair avenues are the streets most
damaged by construction, but they are not scheduled to undergo
resurfacing any time soon, according to the City of Los Angeles
Bureau of Street Services.

To report any problem with the current construction in Westwood
or for further questions call the on-sight engineer at (310)
481-3953.