An unexpected 18-inch water leak has created a significant repair effort at the intersection of 24th Street and Camelback Road, right next to the bustling Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix.
The waterpipe break, located 14 feet below ground, was discovered on Saturday and repair work commenced on Monday at 6 a.m., causing traffic delays for the foreseeable future.
Mike Gertzman from the Phoenix Water Services Department stated, “They’re likely to be in place until Thursday at this point. During rush hours, people are likely to experience significant delays due to these traffic restrictions. So definitely try to avoid the area.”
While all roads remain open, there are lane closures in place to accommodate the repair work. The 24th Street northbound right lane is closed, the 24th Street southbound double left lanes have been reduced to one lane, and Camelback Road eastbound has a double right lane closure.
Gertzman advises caution, urging drivers to be alert and navigate the area slowly. He mentioned that it’s difficult to determine the exact cause of the leak, but fortunately, it is not a severe one. Gertzman emphasized, “The infrastructure in Phoenix is getting older. The ground shifts and pipes wear out. Sometimes they break and burst, and you’ll see a lot of water in the street. We’re not seeing that here which is good. That means they caught it early.”
Despite the potential for increased traffic, Phoenix Water Services reassured that local businesses will not be impacted by the repair work. They encourage residents to stay informed by downloading the 12News app for the latest updates.
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