NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A water main break in Newton prompted major traffic backups Friday afternoon.
A ramp to the Mass Pike initially closed due to flooding had reopened as of around 1:30 p.m., though the state Department of Transportation said detours remained in place on local roads.
Traffic was getting by in one westbound lane on Washington Street in front of Exit 127 on the Mass Pike as of around 5:15 p.m., according to Newton police.
Police, however, still asked drivers to avoid the area as repair efforts continued.
The Newton Fire Department first shared word of the water main break on Washington Street at Newton Corner on social media around 12:30 p.m.
Video from the scene showed traffic backups visible as of around 1:15 p.m. on multiple roadways around the water main break site. Water could be seen pooling in the area.
Newton Police Chief John Carmichael was on scene Friday afternoon, recording a video later shared on the Newton Police Department’s Facebook page.
Carmichael said the area was expected to remain closed for “quite some time” as officers worked to divert traffic off Washington Street toward Watertown.
“It’s a real tough situation,” Carmichael said.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)