JENNINGS, MO (KTVI) – A water main break in North St. Louis County kept crews busy Wednesday evening, and drivers frustrated.
Bommarito Automotive SkyFox flew over the gaping, 7-foot hole on westbound I-70, near the Jennings Station Road exit.
Following the mid-afternoon break, crews shut off the water quickly, but not before the pavement caved in along the right lane and shoulder. Traffic was down to one lane through rush hour.
Missouri American Water Company Spokesperson Ann Dettmer says the 12-inch water line broke because it’s more than a half-century old, and overused on hot days.
“During the summer months, we have a higher demand, there’s more pressure going through these old lines, and the ground is drying up, doesn’t give as much support,” Dettmer explains.
Ultimately, no water service was interrupted for nearby homes and businesses. But Travin Bailey, who was heading to a landscaping job, said he had trouble arriving on time. “I was in traffic for a while,” he says.
Now that the sinkhole is repaired, an engineering team will look at whether to repair the water main, replace it, or simply abandon it.
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