ST. LOUIS — The eastbound lanes of Interstate 64 have reopened after a water main break caused the interstate to close early Wednesday morning.
Crews worked to get the water main break under control for several hours. The break is located on Grand Boulevard near the Saint Louis University campus in Midtown and has caused icy conditions on the roads. Grand Boulevard is closed in the area.
Water from the break dripped down onto I-64 which caused the eastbound lanes to close near Grand Boulevard. The shutdown lasted several hours, with the lanes reopening at around 10:30 a.m.
Curt Skouby, director of public utilities in St. Louis, said the water main is 36 inches, which is considered to be a large main. He said the first priority was to shut off the broken main and open the interstate, but he said it takes some time to locate the valve to turn off the water.
“It can take a while to shut the water off, to stop the leak. When you have a large main you first have to shut off all the valves on the lines feeding the leak, then you have to let the pipe drain of the water that’s in it.”
The actual repair to the main may have to wait as they prioritize other breaks in the area. Thankfully, Skouby said the break is not causing water disruption for nearby businesses or residents.
The cold temperatures caused several water main breaks across the St. Louis area. There were five active water main break Wednesday morning in the city and there were another 10 breaks or leaks overnight. Other locations included Dr. Martin Luther King and Jefferson, Eichelberger and Steffen, and Ellendale and Wellington.
In St. Louis County, Missouri American Water crews Wednesday were working on 160 water main breaks that have happened since February 11. Most of them involve much smaller, six- to 12-inch pipes.
Missouri-American Water Company officials say it’s not as bad as it was a few years ago during the Polar Vortex.
For the latest traffic conditions in your area, check the 5 On Your Side traffic map.