Huge Water Main Break Floods Butler Street In Lawrenceville

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A large water main break in Lawrenceville caused major traffic disruptions Thursday afternoon.

Water was gushing from a hole in Butler Street, rushing down the hillside like a waterfall after the 42-inch main broke. The break happened right in front of Pittsburgh Collision.

"I come out and water was shooting up over the fence about 10, 12 feet in the air, and it's something I have never seen," said owner John Lynch.

Crews could be seen driving through high water to get to the break. Other vehicles were blocking off traffic.

The 62nd Street Bridge was closed at Butler Street but has since reopened, though drivers can't turn right onto the street. Butler Street from the 62nd Steet Bridge to 57th Street will stay closed for repairs.

The detour uses Route 28 south to the 40th Street Bridge, Shaler police said.

Crews started the repairs just after 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. If things go perfectly, the break could be fixed in a week. PWSA said it expects work to be done by next Friday, March 18.

But as of now, cleanup is underway, including for Lynch and others. The water did not enter his shop but it flooded his storage building across the street. Next to Lynch is Rolling Pepperoni.

"The road exploded," owner Katherine Schuler said. "We all felt a shake and it sounded like a giant bang. Everybody ran out to the road, and water was coming up over the sidewalk. I was worried that we would flood."

Fortunately, that did not happen. Right now, a few homes do not have water, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority said. But crews are expected to work around the clock until the job is done.

Service for the few building impacted by the break has been restored.