Broken Water Pipe Closes Financial District's State Street For Hours
BOSTON (CBS) - State and Broad streets in Boston's financial district will be closed during Thursday night's rush hour commute due to a broken water pipe.
The pipe broke at 11 a.m. Thursday at the corner of Broad and State streets.
State Street will be closed between Merchants Row and Chatham Row, and Broad Street is closed at State Street. Commuters and pedestrians are being asked to avoid the area.
Area buildings didn't lose water, according to Stephen Mulloney, Boston Water and Sewer Commission spokesman.
"We responded quickly," Mulloney said. "Got the main shut down quickly, and you know, I think things will proceed quickly from here."
However, businesses were still affected. Al's State Street Cafe took lunch orders from the back door when flooding made the front door inaccessible.
"This could happen 22 hours out of the day I'd be fine it came at the exact worst time it could possibly come," said Al Costello, owner of Al's State Street Cafe. "We were outside taking their orders and we figured out send them around the back alley; we took orders out that back."
Once the pipe is fixed, State Street has to be paved before it can be re-opened. Public Works employees say that paving may take several more hours.
