Roads near LAX closed as crews patch natural gas leak, water main break

Parts of Sepulveda Boulevard and 96th Street near the Los Angeles International Airport remain closed on Thursday morning as crews repair a natural gas and a water main break. 

The Department of Transportation has closed several lanes on the northbound and southbound directions of Sepulveda Boulevard, from Century Boulevard to 96th Street. 

The LA Department of Water and Power and the gas company have sent crews to the area, but LAFD is unsure how long it will take to patch the gas line.

LADWP and SoCal Gas are investigating the cause of the incident. SoCal Gas said a third-party construction crew damaged a six-inch steel natural gas main Wednesday night, causing the closure. SoCal Gas technicians turned off the line on Thursday morning. 

Firefighters urge drivers to use extra caution when traveling through the area and plan for delays to and from the airport. 

"Just feels like a movie situation where everything's going wrong," traveler Charles Cimmarusti said. 

The traffic forced Cimmarusti and his family to switch their flight to Portland ahead of his sister's wedding. 

"Just got the next flight and we'll keep rolling," he said. "We'll get there eventually."