Second Orléans water main breaks
St. Joseph Boulevard reopens after sinkhole is repaired
Another broken water main caused problems in Orléans on Tuesday, giving ward councillors further reason to worry about the condition of water lines in the area.
Just one day after a burst pipe caused a sinkhole on St. Joseph Boulevard just west of Place d’Orléans, a second line broke on nearby St. Jean Street, city staff confirmed.
This second break shut down traffic in both directions on the short strip of road between St. Joseph and Notre Dame Street. Workers tended to this latest problem even while city contractors were paving over the cavity created late Monday morning. Councillors Rainer Bloess and Bob Monette are both concerned about the condition of the pipes in the area after city staff told them the 61-centimetre water main that broke Monday was installed in the 1970s and was due for an assessment this fall.
“Because of the proximity between the two (broken pipes), you wonder if this is a trend,” Bloess said.
The city wanted to have St. Joseph open to traffic Monday night, but staff said they had difficulty finding a contractor to do the road repairs.
Crews were on scene Tuesday morning assessing the surrounding soil, according to a statement from the city’s communications department. Bloess later confirmed that St. Joseph had reopened to vehicle traffic just after 2 p.m.
Previously, traffic had been redirected on to Orléans Boulevard, Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard, Champlain Street and Place d’Orléans Drive. OC Transpo buses on routes 132 and 134 were also being detoured around the site.
City crews were already nearby Monday doing work when the pipe broke and were able to redirect the water through other lines. Water to the broken pipe was turned off within about 45 minutes, said city staff.
Monday’s break did not disrupt water services in the area, nor did the damage compromise the quality and safety of the city’s drinking water. The burst pipe on St. Jean might have disrupted water services, Bloess said.
Given the amount of damage it caused, the break was likely a significant burst in the line rather than a “little crack” in the pipe, said Tammy Rose, manager of drinking water services.
For updated traffic and construction information, visit ottawa.ca.