Roosevelt Boulevard Reopens After Water Main Break In Northeast Philadelphia; 3 Lanes To Close In The Morning
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A huge water main break Tuesday morning closed the Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia.
Water on the roadway forced traffic to detour between Conwell Avenue and Grant Avenue. Both the inner and outer lanes were affected.
The outer lanes of the boulevard, both northbound and southbound, were reopened south of Red Lion Road just before 9 a.m. Two of of the three southbound inner lanes re-opened around 4 p.m. All remaining inner lanes re-opened around 8:30 p.m.
The water main broke around 6:15 a.m. near a crosswalk just south of Conwell Avenue, between Red Lion Road and Grant Avenue. Water bubbled out of the street, covering all 12 lanes of the boulevard.
The main was reported as a 16-inch transmission line. The water department reports that the main was successfully shut off sometime around 8:15 a.m.
Crews worked to spread sand to absorb water and then shovel mud off the road. Heavy equipment dug up the ground around the broken main.
The Water Department says they will have crews back at the scene Wednesday to finish the repair beginning at 9:30 a.m. During this time, the Water Department says there will be two northbound inner lanes closed and one southbound lane closed.
The Water Department plans to have the break fully fixed by rush hour Wednesday.
The water main break was also affecting service on SEPTA's Route 1 and 14 trolleys. For current updates on all SEPTA routes, check the system status page.
For traffic updates anytime, head to CBSPhilly.com/traffic.