City water mains workers are expected to begin repairing a broken 30-year-old, 8-inch water line on the south side of South Frontage Road Tuesday, Public Works Director Garnet Van Norman said.
He said the break was discovered early Friday morning by a police officer who saw a stream of water “shooting” onto the road while driving on South Frontage between Porters Chapel Road and Highland Drive.
Traffic on the road was blocked for about five hours Friday, from 8 a.m. to about 1 p.m., while city workers installed a valve to continue water service to residents and businesses in the area. Deputy police chief Bobby Stewart said starting Tuesday the road will be blocked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Porters Chapel east past Highland Drive until the repairs are completed.
Van Norman said the break was caused by a landslide that exposed the line.
“The soil just slowly eroded away, and the slope went out from under the line and left it hanging,” he said. “Apparently the weight of the line while it was hanging there caused it to break. We don’t know when the break happened.”
He said the section of line containing the break is in a wooded area off the road, concealing the problem.
Besides installing the valve, Van Norman said water mains workers moved heavy equipment in to the area to begin work Tuesday. Monday is a city holiday for Presidents Day.