Water main break that shut down Broadway is part of bigger problem, SAWS says

A water main break that shut down a strip of Broadway north of downtown Wednesday morning is part of a bigger problem with aging infrastructure, according to the San Antonio Water System.

The underground pipe gave out around 4 a.m., forcing crews to close the main thoroughfare for most of the day while they completed repair work.

The closure affected traffic on Broadway between Newell Avenue and Roy Smith Street.

“This pipe was put in the ground in 1887, so just one more reason and one example of why investing in our infrastructure is critical,” said Lilliana Gonzalez, communications specialist for SAWS. “Thankfully nobody is out of water currently. However the road is in bad shape and we need to replace the pipe.”

Charlie Gutierrez, who lives in a nearby apartment, noticed the commotion as he set out on his regular morning walk with his dog.

“This is pretty crazy,” he said. “This was unexpected to see in the morning.”

He quickly began calculating how he would get around the road closure to get to school.

Getting to a supermarket north of the construction site, though, would prove to be a different challenge.

David Bitterman, meanwhile, rolled right through the work site on his bicycle.

He said that stretch of Broadway is part of the usual route he takes to get to the missions, located south of downtown.

“Not unusual to encounter construction here in San Antonio, so I’m getting used to riding around it or through it,” Bitterman said.

He said this is the second water main break he has encountered recently while riding his bicycle. A few weeks ago, he said he stumbled upon one on the North Side.

“Over by Blanco Road. Came across it and it turned me around for sure,” Bitterman said.

Gonzalez said the Broadway break is a prime example of an ongoing aging infrastructure problem in the city. She said it’s also proof of the need for a major project that SAWS began last month on Hildebrand Avenue.

A stretch of that road from McCullough to Shook Avenues remain closed as crews work there to replace ancient pipes.

Beginning in January, SAWS will continue the pipe replacement work on Hildebrand Avenue all the way to Devine Road.

Another part of that multi-million dollar project involves replacing pipes near Camden Street and Euclid Avenue, also beginning in January.

Gonzalez was not able to say whether there was a similar project in store for Broadway.

“In an ideal world, we should be able to maintain and replace those pipes, but that is very costly,” she said.

Along with Gutierrez’s surprise about the road closure, he was shocked to learn the broken pipe dated back to the 19th century.

“Wow. I’m surprised they lasted that long,” he said.

One thing he hoped would not last long is the work to repair the broken water main.

Initially, SAWS estimated it might take crews until late Wednesday night to complete the job. Later, in an emailed update, a spokeswoman said the new estimate for completion was by 6 p.m.

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• Water main break causes road closure on Broadway near downtown, SAWS says