Part of Spruce Street in Philadelphia could be closed "several weeks" due to water main break, Penn says
A stretch of Spruce Street in Philadelphia's University City section is closed until further notice because of a water main break.
Penn Medicine said on its website Sunday night that the water main break has forced Spruce Street between 34th and 38th streets to close until further notice.
The road closure is affecting traffic near the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, and The Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs.
Crews are working to complete the repairs as soon as possible, but the road closure could last several weeks, according to Penn Medicine.
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Water Department said it appears the main break happened at least a few days ago, and that Penn "had time to plan extensive repair work."
In another statement, PWD said the hospital's water service should not be impacted.
"The Water Department and Streets Department will assess the site and determine a plan for restoring the street. The area of Spruce Street that will need to be closed and the estimated time for repairs will be shared with the community once that information is available," PWD said.
Drivers in the area should expect heavy traffic and delays when traveling in University City and other areas of West Philly. Penn Medicine is asking patients driving to their appointments to give themselves extra time.
"34th to 38th is a pretty, you know, vital thoroughfare here for West Philly," Matthew Pierce, who lives nearby, said. "So the fact that it's going to be closed for a little while is — you're going to see a lot more parking on residential streets fill up way quicker, people trying to get through.
A detour is in place at Spruce and 34th streets.
Over the last few weeks, Philadelphia has dealt with numerous water main breaks due to freezing conditions that followed a winter storm that brought nearly 10 inches of snow to the city.
