Eugene Gibbs, left, and James “Bubba” Rainer, head of the city’s public works division, discuss a hole on Clay between Fillmore and Bodley streets.(Jon Giffin The Vicksburg Post)

[12/5/03]A three-block stretch of Clay Street between Fillmore and First North streets was down to one lane today after being closed Thursday as city crews dug up pavement to repair a broken water line.

Service was cut off to some residences in the area for about two hours, and westbound traffic was diverted to Grove Street for most of the day.

James “Bubba” Rainer, head of the city’s public works division, said crews hope to have the street reopened today.

The problem was first noticed this week when Clay began sinking just east of Fillmore Street. Crews initially blamed a storm sewer leak, but when they lifted the manhole cover they discovered a water line had burst.

Rainer said the exact cause of the broken line is not known. The 6-inch, cast-iron pipe could have burst because of shifting in the ground caused by a storm sewer leak, or a leak in the water line could have caused the erosion that led to the storm sewer problems, Rainer said.

The leak eroded the base under three of the street lanes and, after the pavement was dug up, city workers found the hole was large enough to hold an average-size car. Officials said the hole will be filled in with sand.

Rainer said the cost of the repairs to the water line will be about $200, and the road work will cost less than $5,000.

Rick Hanks with the engineering department said the city has had problems with storm sewer lines near that location before, but said those kinds of problems are common throughout the city. He called the work on Clay Street Thursday “normal maintenance,” although that type of work usually doesn’t involve closing a major thoroughfare.

Traffic counts by the Mississippi Department of Transportation show 14,000 vehicles travel Clay Street at Mission 66 daily. That number drops to 4,700 at Walnut Street.