CALGARY – The morning commute was made more challenging for drivers heading into the downtown core on Monday, thanks to a water main break which flooded a portion of Memorial Drive.
Drivers called emergency crews around 4 a.m. after they noticed water gushing from the underside of Centre Street Bridge onto the road below.
Officials say the water main break actually occurred on 8 Avenue N.W. at Centre Street, but the water traveled down storm drains and eventually surged onto nearby Memorial Drive.
Officials were forced to close a section of eastbound Memorial Drive while they cleaned up several inches of water that had pooled on the road and then frozen.
City of Calgary Water Services successfully shut down the source of the water flow around 7 a.m. They say the pipe was a 150mm cast iron line originally installed in 1942.
Crews will be checking Centre Street Bridge to make sure the break hasn’t compromised its structural integrity.
Frigidly cold temperatures may be at least partially to blame for the incident, with the mercury dipping to -26°C at the time.
About 20 homes and one business in Crescent Heights have been impacted by the water main break, and one home suffered basement flooding.
The roadway was reopened over the noon hour, and emergency water has been supplied to the affected homes.
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