The water is back on and road closure zones have tightened after a major water main break in Emporia early Wednesday.
A 16-inch line split on West 12th just east of C of E Drive overnight, with the report coming in around 2 am. Public Works Director Dean Grant says the line could have had between 80-90 pounds per square inch of pressure, which led to a major blowout of the pavement.
Water service was off from around 2-9 am.
The road closure zone now involves West 12th from just east of C of E Drive to just east of Lincoln as well as the south end of C of E Drive. Westbound traffic on 12th can access Newman Regional Health, Emporia Place, Kenyon Heights and Haag Pharmacy, and drivers can also use C of E from Chestnut to the south.
Work continues at the site. Underground Utilities crews have added sand and flowable fill, so most of the cutout area has been filled. However, the damage is such that it could take at least a week for the street to be paved and traffic can return to normal. There is also curb and gutter restoration work as part of the project.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com, KVOE social media and KVOE’s YouTube channel for updates.
6-9 am Wednesday: Wet 12th: Water main break near C of E intersection worse than one outside Newman Regional Health in March, according to Public Works
Several businesses or nonprofits have announced adjustments after a water main break on West 12th near C of E Drive.
Emporia Child Care is open, but parents will have to navigate past barricades at Chestnut and C of E Drive as well as 12th and Garfield, with eastbound traffic also going through the St. Mark’s Lutheran parking lot to get to the facility. The SOS shelter will be open, but a decision is pending on other SOS operations. LCAT will drop off and pick up passengers at the Newman Regional Health Urgent Care Door only. Speaking of the hospital, westbound drivers can go past the barricades and use the east entrance or the main entrance, while northbound drivers can use Elm or Chestnut — and they can use Lincoln if they turn at CrossWinds. Eastbound drivers on 12th will have to alter their routes because of the closure at Lincoln.
Emporia Public Works Director Dean Grant says the situation is worse than one in mid-March, where the same line failed a few hundred feet to the east in front of the Newman Regional Health original building. The current estimate has water restored to affected residents, businesses and nonprofits by 9:15 am Wednesday and so-called flowable fill will be installed Wednesday morning, but there is a major street cutout on West 12th near C of E Drive and it could be at least a week before traffic is back to normal.
5:30 am Wednesday
Part of West 12th Avenue and several surrounding streets or intersections are closed after a major water main break overnight.
Lyon County Emergency Communications says it was notified by Emporia Public Works about a water main break on 12th near C of E Drive around 2 am. The break caused workers to do significant excavation across the entire eastbound lane to get to the source of the break.
West 12th is shut down from Chestnut to Garfield. C of E is completely shut down from 12th to Chestnut. Northbound traffic on Lincoln is also shut down just south of 12th.
The break is just west of a major water main failure that happened near the Newman Regional Health original hospital building back in mid-March. Over the past several years, there have been other notable water line breaks between Chestnut and Prairie, especially during and shortly after a line replacement project between Garfield and Prairie in 2018.
There is currently no word on when the streets can reopen, and given the timing there is no immediate word on the impact to local businesses or residents aside from the water service has been shut off at KVOE.
We’ll keep you updated on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
