Official Updates Received Regarding Water Main Break:
WATER MAIN BREAK UPDATE: 6:30 A.M.
The break in the 20 in main that runs between Redwood St and Lombard St. has caused a significant amount of structural damage to Light Street. Much of the asphalt was compromised. A few businesses on the west side of Light St took on water. Their basements were pumped out by the Fire Department with assistance from the Department of Public works.
STREET CLOSURES
Light St from Fayette to Lombard
Redwood St from Calvert to Light St.
Lombard St currently has the 2 left lanes opened and turning onto Light St.
For rush hour is that there will be 2 lanes open on Lombard in addition to the 2 lanes that turn south onto Light St.
These closures will be in effect for the next several days. We strongly advise commuters and visitors to use mass transit and flex schedules to avoid peak hour congestion. When main arteries like this are closed, it can create congestion across the area as we saw last evening.
REPAIR UPDATE
A contractor will set up temporary water lines to the effected buildings on Light St., excavate to the broken main and establish a plan to replace the entire 20 in water main as well as a nearby 10 in water main that runs from from Redwood to Lombard.
This work will the next several days as the mains are repaired and the entire roadway on Light between Redwood to Lombard is replaced.
Bike racks are in place to make sure pedestrians do not get to close to the unstable portions of sidewalk.
BUILDINGS WITH WATER OUTAGES/LOW PRESSURE
As of this morning the water outages are on the west side of Light street: 7-11, 2 restaurants and a Royal Farms. The MECU building is also out and the Bank of America Building has very low pressure.
A few buildings in other parts of Downtown reported discolored water and low pressure last night. Lines were flushed and re-pressurized and everything seems ok there this morning.
A NOTE OF APPRECIATION
This information came to us from the ever-helpful Kurt Kocher of the Department of Public Works and we are also getting helpful transit and repair information from the Department of Transportation, Office of Emergency Management, and a wide variety of emergency responders. We thank them all.
