Crews repair water main break that flooded streets in Roxbury

BOSTON (WHDH) - Utility crews spent Wednesday evening wading through streams of water after a main break flooded a roadway in Roxbury.

Water could be seen shooting up to 8 feet into the air on Columbus Avenue for nearly an hour until it finally subsided. The flood cascaded down the street and flowed into a nearby apartment complex

People in the area said they noticed the asphalt was buckling for hours before the water main blew.

“People were driving in and out so the ground was sinking. Every time the fire department kind of drove through, the ground sunk more and I guess it kind of made the pressure worse. So the water was just coming up more and more,” said Davan Johnson who witnessed the ground bulging. “Then a worker was drilling down, I guess trying to figure out where the water was coming from and as he drilled down, the pressure kind of exploded and pushed him out of the way.

Water service has since been restored, with roadway restoration being completed Thursday morning.

There has been no word on what may have caused the break.

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