Parts of US 60 closed after flooding in Tempe
Parts of U.S. 60, also known as Superstition Freeway, were still closed between Interstate 10 and Loop 101 as of Monday morning due to damage from a broken water line beneath the freeway at McClintock Drive in Tempe, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Staff from the Tempe Water Utilities and a contractor are working “around the clock” with the Arizona Department of Transportation to evaluate the damage and necessary repairs after the water line broke, causing flooding on the freeway and damage beneath the pavement.
“This particular water transmission line is made of steel and was installed in 1973. It would typically have a 75-year life expectancy,” the City of Tempe said in a release Sunday afternoon. “This is the first break of its kind of a transmission line in Tempe.”
Officials did not say when the highway closure would be lifted, but the repair work could take several days, according to the City of Tempe. The cost of the repair is unknown at this time.
The repair involves placing a camera in the line, which is 13 feet below the surface, to determine the location of the break. To repair it, crews will have to dig, according to the release. Before traffic can resume, inspections and repaving will also have to be done.
City crews shut off a water main believed to be feeding water into the transmission line, which interrupted water service to two businesses along McClintock Drive. According to the release, the city will provide temporary water to the affected buildings so that they can conduct business.
Randy Everett, ADOT central district administrator, advised drivers who frequently travel on the freeway to look for alternative routes and plan for an extra half an hour of commute time.
Eastbound US 60 is closed between the I-10 interchange and Loop 101. Westbound US 60 is closed between Loop 101 and McClintock Drive. Drivers are able to use westbound US 60 on-ramps between McClintock Drive and I-10.
Westbound US 60 traffic approaching the closure is being detoured to north- and southbound Loop 101.
“Drivers on I-10 who normally would use eastbound US 60 should consider using either eastbound Loop 202 to northbound Loop 101 or eastbound Loop 202 to southbound Loop 101 to reach eastbound US 60 beyond the closure,” ADOT officials said in a statement Sunday.
The city of Tempe has been planning a new program for systematic assessment of water lines and fieldwork is set to begin in the next few months, the release states.