Crime & Safety
UPDATED TRAFFIC ALERT: Crews Still Working on Manchester Road Water Main Break
The West County water main break was expected to be fixed by Monday morning, but crews cut a fiber optic cable which forced a lane closure Monday.
UPDATE: Monday, July 09
Unmarked fiber optic cable was cut by Missouri American Water crews working on the water main break at Manchester Road, just west of Interstate 270. Although the road was expected to be repaired by Monday morning rush hour, the fiber optic issue forced a small section of Manchester Road near the Manchester Meadows Shopping Center to remain closed Monday morning, according to Missouri American Water Communications Manager Ann Dettmer. One westbound lane of Manchester is still closed. Two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane are open.
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A Manchester Road water main break that affected traffic Sunday is expected to be fixed before Monday morning rush hour.
Find out what's happening in Town And Country-Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Missouri American Water crews were called to the break front of the Manchester Meadows Shopping Center, just west of Interstate 270, around 2 p.m. Sunday, according to Missouri American Water Communications Manager Ann Dettmer.
Dettmer tells Patch the water main that broke was 12 inches in diameter and it then caused the road to buckle.
St. Louis County police were on scene diverting westbound traffic into the Manchester Meadows Shopping Center while American Water crews worked to repair the line.
"It was directly related to the heat in that the ground shifts more when it's really dry and also there's a higher demand for water so there's a higher pressure inside the pipes," Dettmer explained.
Water service was disrupted in the area, but was back on within three to four hours of the rupture, Dettmer said.
Initially, crews had planned to have the main fixed and street repaired by 9 p.m. Sunday, but the storms that came through Sunday night hindered the process.
"The storm passed through and held us up and they also encountered layers and layers of pavement under Manchester Road," Dettmer told Patch.
Late Sunday she said that crews planned to have the break fixed by 11 p.m. and the road repaired by morning rush hour.
Check back to Town and Country - Manchester Patch for any updates.
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