Runyon Canyon is possibly the most well-known hiking spot in Los Angeles proper and definitely one of the most celebrity-filled hikes a person could find in this celebrity-filled town. So now that it's going to be closed for four months beginning April 1, we'll all need to go somewhere else to spot our celebs. Why on earth is the insanely popular spot closing? LA Weekly reports that it has to do with LA's famously busted infrastructure: the LADWP has to replace a vital, aging pipe in the area.
The hundred-year-old pipe stretches for a mile and carries water to residents and, in the event of an emergency, emergency responders. Because the pipe is so old, it's in terrible shape, and has sprung as many as 20 leaks "recently," says a rep for Councilmember David Ryu, whose district includes the park.
A full-on break in the line would cause big, costly damages "not only in the park but also to properties surrounding the park," a report to the Department of Recreation and Parks Commissioners said.
"The quickest way to do this is to close the park for four months and allow work crews to repair the leaks and get the park back open to the public by summer," the rep tells LAW. According to that report to the Rec and Parks commissioners, closing the park "will reduce the project timeline from eight (8) months if the park remains open."
The park is set to open again on July 31, not July 1, as originally reported here.