Drivers and pedestrians in downtown Edmonton had a lot of water to deal with after a water main break flooded a busy intersection on Tuesday morning.
Just after 9 a.m., EPCOR was notified of a water main break on 108 Street south of Jasper Avenue. Shortly after that, 490 downtown customers lost power.
Tim LeRiche with EPCOR said the power outage was caused by water flooding the underground electrical equipment.
Just before noon, he said most of the power had been restored, but stressed drivers should continue to avoid the area, if possible.
Crews had to shut water off to complete the repairs, and LeRiche said a number of customers would be affected but couldn’t say how many.
It’s not clear how long the repairs will take, but traffic closures may occur, he added.
Watch below: After a water main break in downtown Edmonton resulted in flooding and power outages, crews were still working to address the situation on Wednesday night. Sarah Kraus reports.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m., the City of Edmonton tweeted that 108 Street from Jasper Avenue to about 100 metres south of Jasper would be closed for repairs until Aug. 17.
“Local access is maintained from 100 Avenue,” the tweet said.
In a statement on Thursday, a city spokesperson explained:
“There is currently a total closure of 108 Street, extending from Jasper Avenue to approximately 100 metres south on 108 Street. As part of the OSCAM permit (on street construction and maintenance permit) issued by the City of Edmonton to EPCOR, we worked with EPCOR on a traffic accommodation plan to accommodate access to adjacent businesses and parkades where possible.
“EPCOR currently has responsibility for the site, including traffic control, ensuring traffic barricades are in place, and carrying out an assessment of the work and repairs.
“The City of Edmonton will continue working with EPCOR to ensure repair work is carried out as safely and as quickly as possible. Once the work is completed, we’ll be able to better assess any further work and next steps that may be needed in relation to the restoration of 108 Street.”
At 9:11 a.m., Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) said they responded to an alarms call in the area of 100 Avenue and 108 Street. Capt. Russell Kocuper said the call was triggered by the floodwater getting into electrical boxes and vaults in the area.
Just after 11 a.m., Edmonton transit said Corona LRT Station was closed due to flooding. ETS said trains will continue to run through the station but won’t drop passengers off there. Instead, riders will be dropped off at Grandin or Bay/Enterprise Stations.
The station was reopened as of 4:30 p.m. and passengers were allowed back into the station however ETS warned trains were “moving slowly.” As of Thursday, three of four entrances to Corona station were open, however the one at 108 Street south was still closed for repairs. There was no timeline for when that entrance would reopen.
Watch: Cellphone video taken from inside Grandin LRT Station shows water from a main break in downtown Edmonton gushing onto the tracks.
Kocuper said EFRS would be putting sandbags around the entrances to the LRT stations in an attempt to stop the water from flowing onto the platforms.
A witness told 630 CHED that it appeared that smoke was coming from a building in the area. A spokesperson for Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said there had been no fires reported, but several electrical rooms in the area were smoking because of the flooding.
Kocuper said the fire crews biggest concern was the street-level electrical boxes.
“Those things were filled with water so when that happens, and there’s still current going through them, there’s a good chance of an explosion. EPCOR took that by the horns and helped us out and we just kept everybody away from it,” he said.
Watch below: BLVD Bar and Kitchen was hit hard during Wednesday’s massive water main break. Its kitchen was located downstairs and it’s now completely flooded. Kendra Slugoski reports.
Ryan Gosselin was out grabbing coffee when the water main broke.
“The first fire truck came by and you could see the centre of the road lifting up,” he said. “They were so heavy, the road was actually caving… We actually had to tell them to stay them to stay on the right side and avoid the centre.
“It’s flooded pretty good.”
One building was evacuated, affecting about 30 people. Kocuper said the elevator had been shut down, so fire crews used specialized equipment to assist a number of people down the stairs.
“It wasn’t an issue of people being in danger, they were coming down anyway,” he said. “We just wanted to make sure they were doing so in a safe manner.”
Despite the magnitude of the flooding, Kocuper said the emergency went as smoothly as it could have.
“Anytime you don’t have any injuries or people hurt in anyway, that’s good news for us.”
It’s not the first time this summer a water main break has wreaked havoc downtown. Flooding at the bottom of Bellamy Hill on July 19 caused a traffic nightmare for commuters trying to get out of the downtown core.
Comments