Road closed after gushing water causes sinkhole by Reservoir Park in Brookline

BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - Water gushing near Reservoir Park in Brookline caused part of a roadway to collapse on Thursday morning.

Emergency crews responding to the scene shut down Lee Street near Route 9 as water gushed through for about an hour, flooding the roadway and causing the pavement to fold.

A backhoe partially landed in the sinkhole.

Officials at the scene said more than seven million gallons of chlorinated water spilled into the recently renovated reservoir after the main break.

At the time, an excavator was trying to plug a leak in a water pipe under Lee Street. Instead, the excavator struck a 48-inch line right where two pipes join together, officials said.

“Once the pipe got damaged, it pushed water out in such force it opened up that trench … sinkhole and created a very dangerous situation,” Brookline Fire Dep. Chief Colin O’Connell told 7News.

The excavator tipped as the pavement buckled and gave way, according to an initial call to authorities.

The road was closed so crews could wrap ropes around the wheels of the excavator and tow the dangling machine back onto solid ground.

This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)