Burst pipe creates dangerous conditions as water freezes on street in University City
UNIVERSITY CITY - With bitter cold temperatures that the region has been experiencing, anything wet on the roads is freezing.
Video from University City Wednesday night shows water pouring into the road.
What we know:
A water pipe burst under a fire hydrant on Health Services Boulevard near Penn Medicine Wednesday evening, sending gallons of water rushing into the street and turning the road into a sheet of ice.
Water flowed downhill with such velocity it was bypassing two sewers and as buses, trucks and cars went past, they sloshed the water across the road and it began to freeze.
Not only that but the road began breaking up where the leak originated. Both the Water Department and the Streets Department arrived about 9:30 Wednesday night, as the Water Department crew tried to find the valve to shut off the flow.
What we don't know:
While the pipe leading to the hydrant burst, there’s no word on how long it might take to repair the pipe.
There’s also no information on whether any of the surrounding businesses or homes have had any water disruption.
Big picture view:
The Streets Department sent a truck full of salt to spread across the road in order to keep drivers safe from crashing on the icy street. This road is extremely busy in the early morning hours as hospital patients and staff arrive for work. So, the road may still be treacherous and being worked on during the morning rush hours.
Drivers in the area are urged to use caution, or try to avoid the area, if they can.